A cryptid is pretty much some sort of weird alleged creature. That’s loosely it. Examples include bigfoot, Nessie, mothman, the wendigo and other stuff in this page.
Fur Bearing Trout (very rare).
More specifically, to the Foundation, a cryptid is parafauna that has some interaction with its local community, usually in the form of folkloric stories/myths, presenting a unique situation when it comes to containment. Often, the Foundation is able to ascertain information regarding the anomaly by questioning people, or consulting local legends, in the area it operates in.
They may range from a legendary beast to simply a local oddity.
The Foundation’s department that deals with cryptids!
Initially created as a coalition between the Department of Parazoology and the Department of Mythology and Folkloristics, the Cryptozoology Division handles all cryptid-related anomalies that have fallen into the Foundation’s hands. With its primary HQ based in Site-44, the Division carries out field research, lab testing and containment of parafauna that have already become prevalent in their local area.
The parts of the command chain you might see are as follows:
Field Operations - The term ‘cryptid hunters’ is often associated with History Channel nutcases, but is not the case with Foundation field personnel. Their work is taken out strategically and scientifically, giving them a reputation that a TV presenter could only dream of. Field agents, task force operatives and occasionally containment staff regularly collaborate with one-another in this effort, being the ones who go into the forest at night equipped with radar, microphones, cameras and hunting equipment. Assisted by the EITS Program established in 1982, light aircraft assisted by military-grade tracking systems make the capture of anomalous entities efficient work. While a range of task forces may be employed in this effort, MTF Gamma-4 (“Green Stags”) are most commonly associated with wilderness containment operations.
Containment Specialists - May be found within secure facilities or on-location of a hunt — containment personnel are responsible for formatting parafauna-unique confinement protocols and adapting field operations’ strategies for the optimum outcome. Cryptozoological containment specialists commonly spend time reviewing an anomaly’s behaviour and traits in order to create a reliable, and ethical, methodology to capture and incarcerate.
Investigation - The individuals who connect blurry photos with red string. With their favourite place to dwell being dimly lit rooms inside of Sites, they assess all reported data and information in order to make a reasonable deduction on: 1. If a cryptid is legitimately anomalous or simply a hoax and 2. Where it is found and what potential risks arise from it, be it to humanity or itself. The investigative bureau of the Division is often referred to as the backbone of its wider operations as, without it, no one would know where to look. They occasionally conduct work closely with field personnel, though are typically left alone to work quietly.
Research and Testing - Another important part of the cryptozoological effort is the work conducted by researchers and doctors. While they scarcely appear in the field, researchers study the anomalous biology and ecology surrounding parafauna, thus allowing for a scientific understanding of the anomaly at hand. Researchers typically come into contact with deceased or incapacitated anomalous creatures due to their work usually being held within clandestine facilities, such Site-44. Research personnel are essential in providing clinical insight into an animal’s anomalous tendencies as far as general science can explain. Occasionally they are responsible for discovering the explainable nature of a suspected anomaly, as was the case with UAO-863.
Most importantly to note of the Cryptozoology Division is that there is lots of collaboration between its segments. Its scope is broad and its operations are broader. If any one of the above fragments didn’t exist, the Division’s work would collapse and the Foundation would have a serious issue with the Veil; if it were not for the Cryptozoology Division then minor, and occasionally major, anomalies would be known to the general public.
Be open about it! Cryptozoology is a very vast concept that can spawn many different ideas and styles when it comes to articles. I would mention, however:
- Pull a twist on the original cryptid if it’s based on an IRL idea. SCP-2901 is a good example of this.
- It doesn’t have to be a ‘real life’ cryptid, an article could be about something completely from your own mind!
- Try to include a mention of its influence on local people or folklore, otherwise it’s just parazoology.
- No made-up name is too stupid.
It’s also worth noting that the Foundation database likely wouldn’t refer to any parafauna using the word ‘cryptid’. It’s an informal term and is used here because it doesn’t really have a replacement, though you might say ‘anomalous wildlife’ or ‘uncontained parafauna’ to describe them (if you’re feeling especially clever, you may use ‘cryptobiota’).
The Cryptozoology Division operates throughout many facilities worldwide due to the international nature of cryptids, though their primary headquarters are within Site-44, which has access to a large cryogenic storage area containing all sorts of taxidermied, skeletonised and frozen specimens. It remains the Foundation’s oldest display of parafauna, being started by HMFSCP in the 1850s. In some ways, Site-44’s 6th Sector has become an anomalous natural history museum.
Characters (Feel free to add to this list if they appear in an article):
Dr. Whittaker - Cryptozoology Division Director. Esteemed biologist prior to his hiring by the Foundation, Whittaker took to speculative zoology following a camping trip in his home state of Oregon where he allegedly saw a strange humanoid entity in the woods. To this day “Whittaker’s Tree Man” remains unidentified to both mainstream science and the Foundation.
F. Ozz - Site-44 Archivist and cryptobiological researcher. Ozz was raised around Foulness Island due to his family’s heavy involvement with anomalous agencies since the 1800s. Introduced to the anomalous world at a young age by his father who operated at Site-44, he has been acting archivist since 2016 and rarely leaves the Site aside from cryptozoological research trips.
Researcher Cox - Cryptozoological fanatic who is inclined to believe everything anyone says about cryptids. No one is entirely sure how he got a job with the Foundation, though, according to himself, he allegedly encountered a wild SCP-1000 instance in Ohio’s forests — this claim is heavily debated among his colleagues. If questioned in the matter, Cox will always produce a very blurry photograph that upon second glance seems to be himself in a gorilla suit. Despite working for the highest operating organisation in the world, Cox is incredibly interested in conspiracy theories and is somewhat convinced that the O5 Council is comprised entirely of lizards.
A UAO is an Unidentified Anomalous Organism, meaning that it is a biological anomaly of low significance. Despite the term originally being coined on the Parawatch forums as a zoological equivalent of ‘UFO’, the Foundation adopted this classification for use in its own archives. While they do not warrant their own dedicated document, they are often mentioned within larger database entries, usually in relation to the progression of research towards an anomalous entity. Examples include:
STAFF NOTICE - Personnel wishing to add their own entries to the following list are requested to use formatting in accordance with other archived documents. If the organism in question has featured in, or has been adapted into a larger SCP entry, please note so for future ease of reference.
If there are any issues, please contact Researcher F. Ozz. Please refer to this file's discussion page for more details.
UAO-120
Threat Level: ● Green
Description: UAO-120 is a small, somewhat pill-shaped, humanoid entity possessing large ocular organs, standing at approximately 1ft in height. Discovered on 04/02/2019 following residents of the city of Boston, USA reporting the theft of canned legumes from their homes. Colloquially referred to as the “Boston Baked Bean Boy”, the entity has evaded Foundation capture on numerous instances due to its small stature and immense speed.
UAO-299
Threat Level: ● Yellow
Description: UAO-299 is a deceased domestic sheep 6 metres in height, recovered from rural Wales. No further anomalous qualities were noted aside from its unusual size and tendency to create a “hissing” sound and revert to a darker colouration if touched. Following “St George Protocol”, further information regarding the anomaly is under review.
UAO-985
Threat Level: ● Red
Description: UAO-985 is a large primordial entity residing within the Ural Mountains, Russia that has been emitting high levels of radioactive decay since its discovery in 1959. It has been noted to exist in legends of a “mountain deity” from the folklore of the nearby Mansi people. Due to the effects of radiation on video cameras, its physical appearance is unknown, though glimpses have revealed it to possess large cervine antlers that have fused with the surrounding rock and partially penetrate the surface.
While the Cryptozoology Division does not always directly work with these creatures, they may feature in an article for reasons similar to the conclusion of SCP-7088, whereby the Foundation relinquishes control of a minor anomaly in order to make progress in the research of another.
No strict rules, but the formatting for this page is:
[[module CSS]]
:root {
--zero: 0;
}
[[/module]]
[[module CSS]]
:root {
--header-title: "SCP Foundation";
--header-subtitle: "Cryptozoology Division";
--logo-image: url("http://scp-sandbox-3.wikidot.com/local--files/ozzylizard-2/CryptozoologyDivision2.png");
--pale-accent: 93, 125, 0;
/* light red, for visited links */
--bright-accent: 0, 133, 5;
/* bright red */
--medium-accent: 46, 100, 44;
/* medium red - the "default" accent color */
--dark-accent: 3, 100, 15;
/* dark red */
--alt-accent: 102, 221, 17;
/* pale orange, for newpage links */
}
[[/module]]
Make sure to add
Black Highlighter to the page for it to take effect.
Feel free to add an article to this page if it heavily involves a cryptid, cryptid-like creature, or the Cryptozoology Division. Small mentions don’t really count.
When adding to the list, be sure to alter:
[[div style="height: 1250px;
…with a new height value, otherwise other entries may not be visible. Contact
OzzyLizard if you have any questions or problems with this page or otherwise want advice with your article. Enjoy!