ITEM #: SCP-7006
LEVEL-
CONTAINMENT CLASS: RADIX
DISRUPTION CLASS: AMIDA
ITEM: SCP-7006
LEVEL-
CONTAINMENT
CLASS: RADIX
DISRUPTION
CLASS: AMIDA
An icosahedral die (d20), frequently used as part of Ritual-7006.
SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES: SCP-7006 is maintained via annual performance of the Ritual of Absolution (Ritual-7006). Ritual-7006 must be performed exactly once each year, as further detailed in this document.
If Ritual-7006 is performed unsuccessfully, the Foundation must act according to Level Gamma emergency procedures until the next year arrives.
Due to its deep connection to the Foundation. Radix: Item has been integrated into the Foundation's command structure. , information regarding SCP-7006 and Ritual-7006 must be kept secret. Groups of Interest external to the Foundation learning of SCP-7006 is considered a failure of the Veil Protocol.
In the event that Ritual-7006 loses its potence, Foundation thaumatologists are to be employed in order to engineer a new, successful variant of it as soon as is possible.
The date presently dedicated to the completion of Ritual-7006 is August 1st.
DESCRIPTION: SCP-7006 is a powerful thaumaturgical bond which closely links the SCP Foundation to three conceptual entities existing outside of normative reality, maintained and strengthened by the Ritual of Absolution.
These three entities — classically referred to as the Triad of Absolutes (or: the Triad; the Absolutes) — collectively exert a formidable, generalized influence on the day-to-day affairs and activities of the Foundation at large; this extends to the following areas:
- Containment efforts
- Ritualistic practices
- Thaumaturgical practices
- Parascientific innovation
- Strategic practices
- Bureaucratic processes
- Internal and external security
- Defensive practices
and more.
The influence exerted on the above areas of Foundation activity is, of great note, wholly positive — while a sufficient relationship between the Foundation and the Triad is maintained through Ritual-7006, the Foundation's efforts will, seemingly by chance, yield fruitful results.
Though both SCP-7006's and the Triad's full history with the Foundation is not known, it is understood that this bond is one that has acted as a longstanding boon for almost the totality of our organization's existence. While SCP-7006 is maintained, the Foundation flourishes. It is presumed that the bond's presence is responsible for propelling the Foundation to the grandiose logistical successes it knows today.
If Ritual-7006 is not performed during a given year, or fails, SCP-7006's positive effects will begin to diminish; this progresses on an annual basis for an unknown duration, presumably ending with the bond's total severance. According to record, this has never occurred.
It is not known what such an event entails.
RITUAL-7006: Ritual-7006 (Ritual of Absolution, Ceremony of Absolution, The Providence) is an ornate thaumaturgical procession which alters probability (also known as 'luck', 'chance', 'fate' or ‘destiny’) to favor the Foundation's mission of Securement, Containment, and Protection. This is accomplished through a series of rites which involve several 'lucky' or 'unlucky' items, events, sigils, signifiers, and superstitions. Among these are as follows:
Ritual-7006, as expressed via recursive iconographic notation.
- The conduction of a lottery among select Foundation staff; the winner is awarded a cash prize, and the winning ticket is torn into sevenths.
- The burning of forty four-leafed clovers atop a ritual pyre, which uses 1/7th of the aforementioned lottery ticket as fuel.
- Flipping a gold coin until it comes up heads ten times in a row, and then biting down on the coin so that it bends in half.
- The temporary retirement of a member of the O5 Council, so that the Council numbers twelve instead of thirteen.
- Conducting no work on Friday the 13th.
- Rolling dice fashioned from magical materials such as human bone and meteorites, and the destruction of such dice that roll below their median more than 50% of the allotted time.
- Performance of Ritual-7006-Warden.
WARDEN: Ritual-7006-Warden is a unique rite in which the conditions of each Absolute are allegorically appeased inside of a constructed fictional environment. The performance of Ritual-7006-Warden is by far the most difficult and variable part of Ritual-7006, as for it to be effective there must be a non-negligible possibility of failure.
Ritual-7006-Warden makes use of a role-playing framework recovered by the Foundation from an anomalous "wargames" society operating in England during the late 19th century. Lightly changed by Foundation thaumatologists to suit the needs of Ritual-7006, this framework has proven immensely effective at fulfilling the symbological and ritualistic needs of the Triad in an environment with an efficiently low level of immediate physical consequences.
Through 7006-Warden, ritualists play the roles of Avatars, together forming a fantastical "party" collectively representing the Foundation, embarking on three missions representing the qualities of each Absolute. Succeeding in these missions (henceforth called "modules") contributes to Ritual-7006's efficiency; if one or more are failed, this likely causes Ritual-7006 as a whole to fail, or to be massively weakened.
Performances of Ritual-7006-Warden take place atop a graven Foundation sigil.
RULESET: A condensed form of Ritual-7006-Warden's rules have been provided below; for a full version, personnel may consult this document.
7006-Warden
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
ABILITIES:
STR: Physicality, brawn & toughness.
DEX: Speed, sneaking & precision.
CTRL: Willpower, charm & the weird.
SAVES:
Roll d20 equal to or under target Ability. The party at most risk in a contested action makes the save.
HIT PROTECTION:
HP reflects an Avatar's ability to avoid damage (both from Damage and Stress).
HEALING:
A quick rest fully restores HP but can leave the Avatars exposed. Ability loss requires a week's rest with medical intervention or magical means.
DEPRIVATION:
Deprived keeps an Avatar from recovering HP. Being deprived for more than 24hrs adds Fatigue to an Avatar's inventory. Fatigue takes up one slot and lasts until they can recuperate. This can happen multiple times.
INVENTORY:
Avatars each have 10 inventory slots. Most items take up one slot. Bulky items take up two slots and are awkward or difficult to carry. All 10 slots being in use lowers HP to 0.
MAGIC:
A new spell is created each morning. It is random or is a copy of one from the previous day. Spells take up one item slot. Spells cost one action to cast. One may attempt a CTRL save to retain the spell. If deprived or in danger, a CTRL save may be required to avoid dire consequences. See this table for more details.
ACTIONS:
On their turn, Avatars may move up to 40ft and take a single action. Actions may take the form of casting a spell, attacking, additional movement, or some other reasonable activity. These take place simultaneously.
Retreating from a doomed situation requires a successful DEX save and a safe destination.
For the Start of Combat round, Avatars must pass an DEX save in order to act.
Subsequent turns have players acting, then adversaries.
COMBAT:
All attacks automatically hit. Attackers roll their Stress or Damage die, subtract any protections from Armor (Damage) or Stability (Stress), and deal the remaining total to the opponent's HP. Excess Damage is dealt to STR and excess Stress is dealt to CTRL.
If there are Multiple attackers, or one using two weapons, roll all damage dice together and keep the single highest die.
Unarmed attacks always do 1d4 Damage. Impaired attacks (position of weakness) reduce Damage die to 1d4. Shooting into cover is Impaired. Enhanced attacks (position of advantage) increase Damage die to 1d12. Blast affects all area targets, rolling separately for each.
DAMAGE:
Damage that exceeds the remaining HP applies the excess to STR. They must then make a STR save to avoid Critical Damage. Failure drops them out of combat, dying if left untreated.
Having STR 0 means death; having DEX 0 is paralysis; having CTRL 0 means they are lost.
STRESS AND FALLOUT:
Ritualist chooses from the Stress Fallout table when either:
- Stress reduces an Avatar's HP to exactly 0.
- An Avatar takes Critical Stress (when they fail a CTRL save after it takes Ability damage)
Each Stress Fallout entry:
- Can only be chosen once at the table (unless denoted).
- Consumes an inventory slot.
Illustration of the six Avatars prepared for this year's 7006-Warden performance.
AVATARS: Ritual-7006-Warden is intended to be performed with two to six pre-constructed Avatars (player characters, party members) created using the game system, collectively representing aspects of the Foundation. These Avatars are refreshed annually in order to adapt to the changing circumstances befalling the previous year. In-game documentation relating to the Avatars currently in circulation may be found below.
* * *
"We have everything to lose, but everything to gain. Each time we test our luck, we inch closer to oblivion — but inaction leads us into the dark.
Our power rests upon a pinpoint of divine intervention. We need to make sure that pinpoint stays right where it is, for all our sakes."
- The Administrator
August 1st, 1930
SECURE - CONTAIN - PROTECT
PREPARING MODULES …
The Parable of the Warden
What games do gods play?
Is the thunder the clatter of their dice in a cup?
Is the wind the motion of their arms as they draw a card?
Are earthquakes the shifting of their board?
Do we live and die by their whims?
Their whims, we thought, were out of our control.
But then, deep in the archives, we found it:
Their rulebook.
Those who read it know of the horror that lurks in spaces too liminal.
What games do gods play?
They play with our lives.
What if the thunder is just sound following light?
What if the wind is just cold following heat?
What if earthquakes are just the earth, in a fit of rage?
Doubt is common, down in the Foundations of reality.
That is why we seek Absolution.
MODULES LOADED.
GOOD LUCK.
NOTE: It is heavily advised that ritualists operate Ritual-7006-Warden on a capable desktop device. Handheld devices are not recommended.
If all modules are complete, ritualists may continue:
