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Unraveling the Veil: The Origins of SCP Entities

Arkane Curiosities

In the darkest recesses of our world, where reality intertwines with the unfathomable, lies a secret organization tasked with containing and studying the most extraordinary and perilous entities known to mankind. Welcome to the realm of the SCP Foundation. Step into a world where the laws of nature unravel, and the impossible becomes tangible. But what exactly are these creatures and what are the origins of SCP entities?

The Birth of the SCP Foundation

The SCP Foundation (which stands for Secure, Contain, Protect) emerged in 2007 in the “paranormal” /x/ forum of 4chan. An anonymous user posted the original thread introducing the concept of the SCP Foundation, a secret organization dedicated to securing, containing, and protecting anomalous entities and phenomena. This user was later identified as Moto42. People expanded on the post and soon a wiki was set up to explore the concept of the SCP Foundation. 

To understand the origins of SCP entities, we simply look back to  legends and myths from all over the world. Supernatural beings and unexplained events have always been with us. These stories serve as precursors to the modern SCP entities, hinting at a long history of the abnormal intertwined with human existence.

The First Entity

The annals of the SCP Foundation record the inaugural SCP entity: SCP-001. Often referred to as the “Broken God” or “Gate Guardian,” this entity holds a unique position within the SCP Foundation. It is the subject of intense debate and speculation, with multiple conflicting theories surrounding its true nature.

SCP-001 is a Keter class entity (we’ll explore Keter anomalies in the next post). The Gate Guardian is humanoid in shape and about 700 cubits high (1033 feet). It possessed luminous wings sprouting from its shoulders, back, temples, angles and wrists. 

Where Do SCP Entities Come From?

At the core of the SCP Foundation’s universe are the SCP entities themselves. These entities can take the form of objects, creatures, locations, or even abstract concepts. Each SCP entity is assigned a unique identification number and accompanied by a detailed document known as an SCP entry. These entries serve as containment protocols, scientific analysis, and records of incidents related to the respective SCPs.

There is no single source for the development and discover of SCP Entities. Their origins are a who’s who of supernatural and strange.

Natural phenomena: Some SCP entities arise from natural occurrences or anomalies that exist within the fabric of the world. These could be inherent abnormalities in nature or manifestations of unknown forces.

Human-created anomalies: Certain SCP entities are the result of human experimentation, scientific accidents, or the misuse of advanced technologies. These anomalies can possess dangerous and unpredictable characteristics.

Extra-dimensional or inter-dimensional entities: SCP entities may come from alternate dimensions, parallel universes, or realms beyond conventional human perception. These entities often possess abilities or properties that defy the laws of our reality.

Supernatural or mythological origins: SCP entities can be rooted in ancient legends, myths, and folklore. They may be ancient beings, deities, or spirits with immense power and influence.

Extraterrestrial sources: Some SCP entities have extraterrestrial origins, originating from other planets, distant galaxies, or encounters with unidentified flying objects (UFOs). These entities may have arrived on Earth through various means, bringing with them their unique traits and abilities.

Anomalous artifacts or objects: SCP entities can also be tied to anomalous artifacts or objects with mysterious origins. These items may possess inherent properties that give rise to or house the entity within them.

Collaborative Creation

One of the defining aspects of the SCP Foundation project is its collaborative nature. A community of writers and fans passionately contributes to the ongoing development and expansion of the SCP universe. Individuals can create new SCP entities, provide feedback, and engage in discussions. This collaborative approach has led to a diverse and ever-growing collection of SCP entities, each with its own intriguing narrative and characteristics. As of now, there are over 6000 documented entities.

Tim Kane

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Baba Yaga Wants to Cook Your Children in a Stew

Arkane Curiosities

A smile filled with iron teeth. Skin wraps her bones like cling wrap. A nose so long it scrapes the ceiling when she sleeps. This is Baba Yaga, a witch who fits all the stereotypes. But in Slavic lore, she is much more than a bogeyman. Some consider Baba Yaga to be a force of nature or even a deity. Yet many tales talk of her voracious appetite and her desire to cook your children in a stew.

She Will Count Your Spoons

Apparently all aspects of cooking fall under Baba Yaga’s domain. In the story called “Baba Yaga and the Brave Youth”, she returns again and again to young man’s house to count his spoons. 

In the tale the youth lives with a talking cat and sparrow (so we’re off to a good start). The youth is a layabout, letting the animals go out into the forest to cut wood. Their only warning is to hide if Baba Yaga shows up to, you know, inventory the spoons. 

Three times the witch appears and each time the youth can’t keep his trap shut. When he sees her touch his spoon, he yells out “That’s my spoon!” The first two times, the cat and sparrow swoop in for the rescue. But the third time is not the charm and Baba Yaga makes off with the youth to cook him in a stew. 

Legend has it that Baba Yaga only counts eating spoons, not stirring spoons. She wants to know how many people are in the house, and maybe if there are any children. 

Beware the Black Geese

Three black geese serve Baba Yaga. Their mission? To fly around in search of delicious-looking kids to eat. In the fairytale of the black geese, the parents warn a young Elena to watch over her brother. 

Elena gets distracted with her friends while the brother plays outside. Cue the malevolent geese. They swoop down and abduct the helpless boy. Knowing she screwed up, Elena sets off to rescue her brother. 

She must hurry. After all, the brother is destined for Baba Yaga’s pot. Yet even in her rush, she pauses to rescue three woodland creatures. She saves a fish out of water, a squirrel caught in a trap and a field mouse with a pebble blocking its home. In gratitude for her help, the animals give her three tokens (a shell, a nut and the pebble). They tell her to throw them over her shoulder if she’s ever in danger. 

Reaching Baba Yaga’s hut, she found the witch asleep and her brother beside the bed playing with bones. A cauldron bubbled on the fire, ready for a little-boy-stew. Elena snuck and and grabbed her brother, but the black geese sounded the alarm.

Elena bolted into the forest with Baba Yaga in chase. Hampered with her brother, Elena could not outrun the witch. Remembering the tokens, she tosses the shell over her shoulder and it becomes a lake. Instead of going around the lake, Baba Yaga leans down and slurps it up. Next Elena tosses the nut and it sprouts into a thick forest. The witch chews through the wood, devouring the trees. 

Finally, Elena throws the pebble. It transforms into a mountain, too high to climb. Baba Yaga can’t drink or eat the mountain, so she returns home empty handed. 

The moral, of course, is to watch over your kids. Nothing like a bit of child-eating to scare your little ones into being good and following the rules. 

Tim Kane

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The Backrooms — A Surreal Alternate Reality

Arkane Curiosities

The Backrooms are not for the faint of heart. This is a place both alluring and dangerous, a surreal alternate reality that exists just beyond the walls of our everyday world. No one should ever seek out the backrooms. The risk is too great. Both to your life and also your sanity.

No Ordinary Place

Identical yellow-tinted walls. Flickering fluorescent lighting. At first glance, the Backrooms seem utterly mundane. Yet the more you explore, you realize the truly bizarre place you’ve stumbled into. 

There are no windows, no doors, and no clear sense of direction or purpose. The rooms seem to stretch on forever, each one identical to the last. You may feel disoriented or confused — overwhelmed by the relentless hum that permeates the air. Strange entities inhabit these rooms, creatures that exist outside of our normal understanding of reality.

Gaining Entry

But for those who are brave enough to seek out the Backrooms, there are a few things you should know. Firstl, the Backrooms occupy a kind of liminal space between the digital and the physical. Some have reported finding portals to the Backrooms in video games, while others claim to have stumbled upon them in abandoned buildings or other forgotten places.

These entrances, or glitches in reality, have subtle signs. 

  • Doors that appear suddenly
  • Walls a shade darker than those around it
  • Locations with a sense of unease

When you are ready, simply step through to enter the backrooms.

A Different Kind of Time

Time behaves differently within the walls of the Backrooms. Some have reported losing hours or even days while exploring the endless rooms. Others reported feeling as though they have been trapped in the Backrooms for weeks or months, only to emerge and find that only hours have passed.

This temporal strangeness is often compounded by the endless sameness of the rooms themselves. With no discernible landmarks or signs of change, it can be difficult to gauge how much time has passed or how far you have traveled.

Backrooms Origin

It all started with a picture titled “unsettling room” on a 4chan forum about cursed images. A year later, on May 12th, a user replied to the odd yellow room by saying: 

If you’re not careful and you noclip out of reality in the wrong areas, you’ll end up in the Backrooms, where it’s nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono-yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in
God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby, because it sure as hell has heard you

This snowballed into more comments and posts. Eventually “found footage” made its way onto social media — people exploring the Backrooms. 

A Final Warning

In the end, entering the Backrooms is not something to be taken lightly. It is a place of great danger and mystery, and those who enter may never return to the world they once knew. Yet… for those who are willing to take the risk… the Backrooms offer a glimpse into a world of endless possibility and unbridled imagination.

Tim Kane

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Will O’Wisp: Tricksters Who Lure Travelers into Danger

Arkane Curiosities

Blue balls of flames burn in the night, hovering over the marshes. They lure travelers into danger and soon you’re sinking in a peat bog or tumble off a cliff. Also called ignis fatuus (Medieval Latin: “foolish fire”), these tricksters prey on the unsuspecting.

Word Origin

A “wisp” is a bundle of sticks or twisted paper used as a torch. Combined with the name “Will” we get Will-o’-the-wisp (literally “Will-of-the-torch”). Originating in England, these floating lights have crossed the pond and are known as “spook-lights”, “ghost-lights”, or “orbs” in the States. 

Other names for these mischievous nighttime tricksters are Hobby-Lantern, Jack-o’-Lantern, Jenny-Burnt-Tale, Kitty-Candlestick, and Peg-a-Lantern.

Evil Spirits

The Will-o’-the-wisps are considered a kind of evil spirits intent on diverting people off established roads. Their goal is to strand people in the wild with no hope of every reaching the land of the living again. 

On origin story, from Scotland, claims this wispy spirit is actually a deceased blacksmith names Jack. He was denied admittance to hell (which in Scottish lore is known as “the place of the wind of the cold passages, or the wind of the cold channels”). The devil gave Jack a single ember to warm himself as he wandered the mortal plane. It’s this light you see floating over the marshes — the Jack o’Lanten. 

Goblins with Lanterns

In Wales, the Will-o’-the-wisp goes by the name Ellylldan or Pooka (this is where we get the name Puck or Pwca). In this version, a farmer returns home after working the fields and sees a light bobbing before him. A small shadowy figure holds a lantern above its head. 

The farmer follows the light for miles only to find himself on the edge of a high cliff. Far below, a river rages. At this moment, the goblin leaps across the chasm and lands on the opposite side. It utters a malevolent laugh and blows out the lantern, leaving the farmer stranded in the dark. 

Lost Souls

Other versions of this myth have it that the Will-o’-the-wisps are the souls of unbaptized children. They cannot enter heaven and thus must roam the earth forever. They linger in dark forests and deserted places. 

If they spot a person at night, these lost souls hurry over and guide the traveler to water. Not in any attempt to drown the person, but in order to get baptized. 

There is a story from the Netherlands involving a certain Gandshoven from Molenbeek. When he encountered three will-o’-the-wisps, he baptized them. In that instant, thousands more will-o’-the-wisps surrounded him, all wanting the same treatment. Gandshoven spent the whole night baptizing them until the sun rose. 

So if you see a light bobbing mysteriously in the night, maybe leave it be. Who knows where it might lead you.

Tim Kane

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