SCP-7206 has the outward appearance of an ordinary human, but it is capable of working a dangerous witchcraft, swaying the hearts of weak-willed men and convincing them to betray the Holy Foundation. These poisoned words appear to have their greatest power upon members of the D-Caste.
Object Number: SCP-7206
Object Class: Keter
Sacred Containment Procedures: The Chamber of Containment shall be two meters broad, two meters long, and two meters high. All walls shall be built of solid stone, and the only egress shall be a single cell door of oak and iron. The inside of the walls and door are to be overlaid with lead.
Two guards are to be set outside this Chamber of Containment, to keep watch both day and night. All guards assigned to SCP-7206 must be men of good character and strong will.
Food and water are to be provided to SCP-7206 through a small hatch in the cell door. The Chamber of Containment shall be left unlit, and those who stand outside while the hatch is open must plug their ears with beeswax.
Inquisitor Sharif Nott shall be the only person with a key to the door of this Chamber of Containment. He alone shall be permitted to speak with SCP-7206.
Description: SCP-7206 has the outward appearance of an ordinary human, but it is capable of working a dangerous witchcraft, swaying the hearts of weak-willed men and convincing them to betray the Holy Foundation. These poisoned words appear to have their greatest power upon members of the D-Caste. The Sacred Containment Procedures devised by Inquisitor Nott have so far succeeded in containing the Expunged influence of SCP-7206, preventing it from corrupting any of the men of the Eighty-First Monastery.
Additional Redacted Arts enable SCP-7206 to fire ranged projectiles with unnatural accuracy, typically by use of a longbow, which was taken from it during capture. The extent of these abilities has not been fully ascertained, as it is not safe to provide SCP-7206 with any weapon.
Prior to its containment by the Holy Foundation, SCP-7206 was known by the name "Robin Chapel", and formerly as D-1006448. Although raised by the Holy Foundation, D-1006448 refused the duties assigned to it as D-Caste, and fled into the Shercargo Forest at the age of twelve. Seven years later, SCP-7206 reemerged as the leader of the "Brigands of Shercargo Forest", a group of outlaws that committed crimes against both Nature and Man. They are wanted criminals in the Provinces of Gretlak and Hartland, with the charges against them including:
- Highway Robbery
- Practicing Witchcraft
- Assaulting Doctors of the Holy Foundation
- Slaying Soldiers of the Holy Foundation
- Inciting D-Caste to abandon their duties
- Abducting the Lady Mary Mann
- Consorting with Orcs, Elves, and other Expunged
- Poaching of Game
An eyewitness account of one of their robberies follows.
Addendum the First - The Testimony of Nigel Tacksea
The Account that follows was recorded on The Fourteenth Hour of the Twelfth Day of the Third Month, in the Six Hundred and Thirty-Seventh Year After the Great Breach, describing events witnessed by the speaker five days prior.
I swear by the Lord and His Holy Foundation and by all His Saints to speak nothing but the truth.
I was driving a cart loaded with supplies to the Nineteenth Monastery, with a dozen of the D-Caste following behind, their hands bound in chains. Two soldiers kept watch on the roof of the coach, and two more knights rode on horseback, in front and behind. The road in that place led through thick forest, and it was dark even in daylight.
All of a sudden, a tree branch fell across the path ahead, and I pulled up my reigns to stop the horses. I heard a loud voice call out, "We will take your cargo, but we need not take your lives!"
The knight ahead of me drew his sword, and declared, "I offer thieves nothing but this steel!"
With uncanny accuracy, an arrow flew out from the undergrowth and into his throat. He fell from his horse, dead that instant.
The knight to the rear rushed forward, hoping to run down the archer hidden in the brush, but he was halted by a mighty crash. Looking over at that sound, I saw a big hairy orc had swung down from a tree branch above, to strike the man with a club. If that blow had not killed him instantly, the fall from his horse certainly had.
One of the men atop the cart aimed his crossbow at the orc, but before he could fire it an arrow buried itself in the side of his neck, just beneath the helmet's protection - another fatal wound.
I spun around and saw the arrow had been fired by a hooded figure dressed in green, who'd stepped out from the forest to approach us. This brigand was now aiming that longbow right at me, and had already nocked another arrow, so I quickly dropped down to present myself as less of a target.
The only sound I could hear was the fright of the horses, but above me I witnessed the last soldier on the roof of the carriage peek out, taking cover behind his shield. Unfortunately for him, it offered too little protection - when he fell forward a moment later, I saw an arrow had gone right through his left eye. It was a truly frightful sight, and I stared up at it for far too long, worried his limp body might fall down on top of me.
I feared I would be next, and prayed to all the Saints for deliverance, before words of reassurance from the hooded figure surprised me. "I have no quarrel with cart-drivers. Stay out of our way and we won't hurt you."
Figuring discretion to be the greater part of valor, I obeyed, but kept close watch on the proceedings that followed. A crowd of men and orcs emerged from the woods, all armed and dressed in motley fashion, and began reigning in the horses the two knights had rode on.
The first brigand pulled back that green hood while walking past the cart, and it was clear from the cheerful praise of the other bandits that this was their leader. At first I thought this to be a clean-shaven young man, tall and dark, on account of the britches and short hair, but after hearing her speak again I realized she had to be a woman. She approached the twelve D-Caste chained to the back of the cart, who were making mighty noise with their voices and the rattling of chains, and announced herself as Robin Chapel, declaring she had come to set them free.
Her words were met at first with some hesitancy from the D-Caste, but they seemed to trust her more after she rolled up her sleeve to show off a large scar on her arm. She claimed that was where she'd once been marked like them, before burning the brand off herself. It didn't take long for her to persuade them all to desert the Holy Foundation, praising a life of banditry as if it were a high and noble calling!
Robin's gang of outlaws loosed the chains that bound the D-Caste to the cart, then broke into that same carriage to carry off everything inside. After loading it all up onto the horses they'd stolen, that band of brigands and the D-Caste disappeared into the forest, leaving me behind with only an empty wagon.
I gathered up the bodies of the four dead men, all stripped of arms and armor by those bandits, and placed them inside the cart to protect them from carrion crows. I then proceeded on foot to the Nineteenth Monastery, and informed them of everything that had happened that day, as I recount to you again today. I claim no courage in my actions, but unlike those four brave warriors, I did at least live to tell the tale.
Nigel Tacksea was suspected of being allied with SCP-7206, but after a lengthy interrogation Inquisitor Sharif Nott declared his loyalty to be uncompromised, and he was returned to his regular duties.
The band of brigands led by SCP-7206 targeted Holy Foundation conveys for several years, robbing the Foundation of supplies, D-Caste, and many Relics, even going as far as to carry off the Lady Mary Mann, daughter of Doctor Michael Mann, Abbot of the Seventeenth Monastery. The brigands were able to repeatedly elude capture by retreating into the depths of the Shercargo Forest, even managing to conceal themselves from the skilled trackers of Mobile Legion Epsilon Thirteen (cognomen Fatum Manifestum). The Legionaries found traces of the brigands' camp, which suggested that their numbers consist of around three dozen adults, a small number of children, and at least two orcs (listed in the annals of the Ancient Foundation as SCP-1000, one of many Expunged to escape Containment during the Great Breach). However, it appears that the group dispersed several days before the Legion arrived at the scene, hiding their trails too well to be followed.
The peasantry and D-Caste in the area around Shercargo were uncooperative when interrogated about SCP-7206. Their hesitancy to speak seemed to be due to both fear of reprisal and a heretical anti-Foundation sentiment, hindering efforts to locate SCP-7206.
Inquisitor Sharif Nott proposed an alternative approach, involving the organization of an event purporting to be a contest of archery, aimed at the identification of the most skilled marksman in the Seven Continental Provinces. Sharif Nott predicted that SCP-7206 would be far too prideful to resist this opportunity, particularly if men sworn in service to the Holy Foundation were numbered among the competitors.
Addendum the Second - An Account of the Operation titled Umbral Arrow
This two-day operation began on the Twenty-Ninth Day of the Sixth Month, in the Six Hundred and Thirty-Eighth Year After the Great Breach.
A prize money of twenty gold dollars was offered up by Sir Gus Borne, a Knight of the Order of Lombard, drawn from the funds of his family estate to finance this operation. This large sum drew a great deal of interest, and multiple rounds were used to narrow the field of competition.
Nothing remarkable was observed during the first round on the first day, which involved each marksman taking up a position to aim at a series of targets. Two dozen men whose shot landed closest to each mark were brought forward into the next round, including one Robert Hooke, notable at this time only because no person present had previously encountered him.
The second round took place the next day in front of an audience, again appealing to SCP-7206's vanity. Participants aimed at a line of targets, and were scored on their accuracy. Robert Hooke notably hit the centre of every target, including a spare that had been left off to the side, although to the amusement of the crowd Hooke reacted to this shot as if it had been an accidental misfire.
The third round took place that same day, and likewise had an audience. A live bird was tethered to a post, which was shaken during the contest to make the creature take flight, providing a moving target for each participant to aim at. The first bird was killed by Hubert Haysting, an arbelist employed by the Holy Foundation.
Robert Hooke, the next contestant, loudly refused to have the bird tethered, insisting that there was no sport in shooting an unfree animal. Sir Gus Borne, the marshal of the contest, permitted the release of the bird, and Robert Hooke proceeded to shoot the bird as it flew above the pole, and then shot it again as it fell. To the amazement of all present, this second shot pinned the corpse to the pole it had once been tethered to.
After the conclusion of this round, Robert Hooke was the only remaining participant not in the employ of the Holy Foundation, and so it was assumed that Hooke must be an artfully disguised SCP-7206. Robert Hooke and Hubert Haysting were instructed to personally meet with Sir Gus Borne, to prepare them both for the final round, which was to take place the following day. A record of the events that followed has been recorded below.
(Robert Hooke and Hubert Haysting were escorted into the room by Foundation soldiers)
ROBERT HOOKE. Some of my closest companions use crossbows! I was merely noting that that if you have the arm strength for it, the longbow offers a far superior rate of fire.
HUBERT HAYSTING. This is not a contest of strength or speed, but of accuracy.
ROBERT HOOKE. Indeed, it is.
HUBERT HAYSTING. The crossbow is undoubtedly a more precise instrument. I hit every target dead-center.
ROBERT HOOKE. In that case, you may shoot first tomorrow. You shall give me a smaller mark to aim for!
GUS BORNE. Gentlemen, am I interrupting?
HUBERT HAYSTING. No. I'm done talking with this braggart.
GUS BORNE. I am Sir Gus Borne, marshall of this contest of arms. This is Inquisitor Sharif Nott, a Doctor of the Holy Foundation. May I ask you to hand over your weapons to him?
ROBERT HOOKE. For what reason?
SHARIF NOTT. So that I may inspect them for any evidence of the Redacted Arts.
ROBERT HOOKE. Good sir, you accuse me of cheating? Have I impressed you too much?
GUS BORNE. It is a simple precaution. See, Haysting has already handed his over!
HUBERT HAYSTING. I'm an honest man.
ROBERT HOOKE. Then I must do likewise. My bow holds no secrets.
(Robert Hooke handed over the longbow. Inquisitor Sharif Nott signaled to the soldiers present to seize him, and two men grabbed Robert Hooke by the shoulders.)
ROBERT HOOKE. What is this! Unhand me!
SHARIF NOTT. Is the name "Robin Chapel" known to you?
ROBERT HOOKE. I know of no man by that name!
SHARIF NOTT. And you are an honest man?
ROBERT HOOKE. By my honor, I swear it!
(Inquisitor Sharif Nott seized the beard on Robert Hooke's face, and after some exertion managed to tear it away from the face.)
SHARIF NOTT. You do not seem to be an honest man.
(SCP-7206, false beard now roughly removed, screamed loudly.)
SHARIF NOTT. I know that face well.
(SCP-7206 bit the hand of the soldier holding its right shoulder, teeth sinking down to the bone, forcing the man to lose his grip. SCP-7206 then drew a dagger from a sheath at its belt, and stabbed the soldier to its left in the leg, causing him to likewise release his hold.)
SCP-7206. As I know yours!
(SCP-7206 rushed toward Inquisitor Sharif Nott, dagger raised to strike. Sir Gus Borne tackled SCP-7206 from the side, and both fell to the floor.
GUS BORNE. You shall not escape again!
(SCP-7206 twisted around, and slashed Sir Gus Borne across his cheek.)
SHARIF NOTT. Contain, do not kill!
(Additional soldiers rushed forward to strike SCP-7206's arms and head with the hilts of their polearms, until SCP-7206 relinquished its grip on the dagger.)
Once disarmed and restrained, SCP-7206 was placed into preliminary containment within the back of a wagon. Sir Gus Borne and the two wounded soldiers required aid from a physician, but made a full recovery.
Due to the participation of an outlaw benefiting from Redacted Arts, the contest was called off, and no prize was awarded.
SCP-7206 was then brought to the Eighty-First Monastery under heavy guard, and at the direction of Inquisitor Sharif Nott, the Sacred Containment Procedures for SCP-7206 were placed into effect. SCP-7206 was then questioned, with particular concern for delivering the Lady Mary Mann from her captivity.
Addendum the Third - Log of Inquisition
Name of Inquisitor - Sharif Nott
Subject - SCP-7206
The Record Begins on The Tenth Hour of the Third Day of the Seventh Month, in the Six Hundred and Thirty-Eighth Year After the Great Breach, three days after the Containment of SCP-7206.
SCP-7206 was seated within its unlit Chamber of Containment. Inquisitor Nott was speaking through the open hatch of the cell door.
The responses of SCP-7206 have been transcribed verbatim. Readers are warned that SCP-7206 uses profane language.
INQUISITOR. SCP-7206! Can you hear my voice?
SCP-7206. Redact yourself! I'm trying to sleep!
INQUISITOR. Your insolence reflects poorly upon you, SCP-7206.
SCP-7206. Apologies, I didn't notice it was you, Sharif. Get expunged!
INQUISITOR. SCP-7206, you will address me as Inquisitor!
SCP-7206. Sharif, I'm not a number. Call me Robin.
INQUISITOR. SCP-7206, I am here to give you the opportunity to confess.
SCP-7206. I have nothing to be ashamed of.
INQUISITOR. Did you not utilize witchcraft to sway the minds of D-Caste, and recruit them to your criminal cause?
SCP-7206. Wait, do you think I used mind-control to convince your slaves to leave you? I used to be one of them, and let me tell you Sharif, the Foundation is not nearly as beloved as you think it is…
INQUISITOR. SCP-7206, do you deny that you abducted the Lady Mary Mann?
SCP-7206. I do deny it, she came willingly! Unlike you, I have no interest in keeping women in dungeons!
(Inquisitor Nott paused for a moment to calm himself, through contemplation of the Sacred Containment Procedures.)
INQUISITOR. You expect us to believe that the daughter of an Abbot voluntarily associated with a band of woodland outlaws?
SCP-7206. I don't expect much from you, Sharif. But you can ask anyone who knew her before she left. Mary never had any interest in formal lab-coats. Or in that bastard her father wanted to marry her off to.
INQUISITOR. Are you honestly claiming that she preferred the company of brigands to the honorable Sir Gus Borne?
SCP-7206. My charms may not be apparent to you Sharif, but trust me when I say that Mary much enjoyed the time we spent together.
INQUISITOR. What do you mean by that?
SCP-7206. Sharif, if you want intimate details, you're going to have to get me very drunk.
INQUISITOR. Is this why you didn't demand ransom? You abducted a noblewoman, on the way to her own wedding, solely to violate her chastity?
SCP-7206. I didn't abduct her! It was her idea!
INQUISITOR. How many of your men abused her?
SCP-7206. No man dared lay his hand on her!
INQUISITOR. And what about you?
SCP-7206. Well, I am no man.
INQUISITOR. There was some doubt about that.
SCP-7206. There is no doubt in my mind. I assure you, Mary knew me as a woman.
INQUISITOR. How could you do something so perverse?
SCP-7206. Sharif, have you no shame? You ask me how the deed was done!
INQUISITOR. No matter how disgracefully you may have used her, her father still desires his daughter's safe return.
SCP-7206. He's not having her.
INQUISITOR. The Abbot Michael Mann is willing to pay a generous ransom. If you assist us in our negotiations with your followers, I could arrange for you to have much more comfortable containment…
SCP-7206. I won't betray Mary.
INQUISITOR. How do you think she will fare in the company of outlaws, now that you are contained in here? Have you no pity for another woman?
SCP-7206. You'll never find her. Not if she doesn't want to come back.
SCP-7206 responded similarly to further questioning relating to the Lady Mary Mann. Having failed to secure the cooperation of SCP-7206, Inquisitor Nott paused the interrogation. While SCP-7206's claim that Mary Mann had not been abducted against her will was initially dismissed as implausible, it is possible that SCP-7206 seduced her using witchcraft, motivated by an abnormal desire even more base than lust for gold.
Inquisitor Nott returned three days later, with the intention of obtaining more information about the nature and origin of SCP-7206's unnatural abilities.
INQUISITOR. SCP-7206!
SCP-7206. Sharif! You finally return! I told you last time, call me Robin.
INQUISITOR. When we last spoke, you denied having any supernatural ability to sway the minds of others.
SCP-7206. Sharif, I promise that everything I've achieved came from hard work and natural charm. Not to boast, but Mary made advances on me first…
SCP-7206. You may claim to possess no power over the mind, but you cannot deny your aim with a bow is unnatural!
SCP-7206. That's just practice. Birds and rabbits are small targets, and I go hungry if I miss.
INQUISITOR. Do you practice any other forms of witchcraft?
SCP-7206. Nothing comes to mind.
INQUISITOR. You understand that we have no reason to hold you here, if you truly are untainted by the Expunged?
SCP-7206. Sharif, you mean you'll let me go?
(Inquisitor Nott noted a smug tone in SCP-7206's voice.)
INQUISITOR. You would be hanged as a common criminal.
SCP-7206. You can't do that! You contain people!
INQUISITOR. I have great discretion in this case.
(Inquisitor Nott wishes to clarify in this transcript that he would never schedule the execution of an individual in containment without first obtaining the permission from the Overwatch Cardinals.)
INQUISITOR. If you are not a witch, we have no reason to contain you. I can have a gallows erected in the courtyard. I would take great pleasure in watching you drop.
(SCP-7206 did not reply until Inquisitor Sharif Nott turned to leave.)
SCP-7206. No sense in denying it then. I'm definitely tainted.
INQUISITOR. And what witchcraft do you confess to?
SCP-7206. I've been in contact with the Spirit.
INQUISITOR. Which Spirit do you refer to?
SCP-7206. The Spirit of Shercargo, of course.
INQUISITOR. What manner of Expunged entity is this?
SCP-7206. Redact it, I've already said too much.
SCP-7206 refused to speak any further, despite offers of better quality food, more comfortable bedding and clothing, and the provision of beer and wine. After ten days of regular interrogation, Inquisitor Sharif Nott finally convinced SCP-7206 to speak further about the source of its unnatural abilities, by repeatedly expressing doubt as to the veracity of SCP-XXXX's claim to have benefited from unnatural assistance.
INQUISITOR. How did you contact this Spirit? Did you sign a diabolic pact?
SCP-7206. I suppose I did.
INQUISITOR. What exactly did this involve?
SCP-7206. Nothing obvious. It was like… always having a man on the inside.
INQUISITOR. You'll need to give me more detail. Convince me that this Spirit of yours was not simply invented to evade execution.
SCP-7206. Fine. Ever since we made our bargain, the Spirit has been whispering in my ear, telling me where to go, who to rob, who to recruit. In exchange, he got his cut.
INQUISITOR. It demanded payment in blood?
SCP-7206. No, mostly gold! He also accepted silver and gemstones, and the occasional Relic from you that wasn't worth the effort of fencing.
INQUISITOR. And how did this Spirit claim its share of your ill-gotten gains?
SCP-7206. I buried them in the Shercargo Forest.
INQUISITOR. You bury your loot?
SCP-7206. Only one part in eight. I bargained him down from half, he's a greedy bastard.
INQUISITOR. And yet you ended up here. The typical fate for those foolish enough to place their faith in the Expunged!
SCP-7206. The worst part is, he did warn me it was a trap. I just thought I could escape it.
INQUISITOR. Your arrogance predictably led to your own downfall.
SCP-7206. You cheated, Sharif! You weren't supposed to try and arrest me until after I won the archery contest! I had it all planned out…
INQUISITOR. I saw no reason to wait. You were flaunting unnatural ability with the bow, it could only have been you.
SCP-7206. I really thought the false beard would work! Mary hated it, she could barely recognize me…
INQUISITOR. Does this Spirit still speak to you?
(SCP-7206 hesitated for several seconds before replying.)
SCP-7206. Yes, it is definitely speaking to me! Right now, in fact!
INQUISITOR. What foul counsel does it offer?
SCP-7206. He says… I told you so. Yes, he's been very smug about it, I ignored his advice and immediately got caught.
INQUISITOR. Mockery and scorn are the fate of all who place trust in abominations.
SCP-7206. I still prefer his company to yours.
INQUISITOR. Tell me, through what unholy rite did you first make contact with this Spirit?
SCP-7206. Oh, he just started talking to me, one night in the Shercargo Forest. This was after I ran away from D-Caste. The Spirit said I was the kind of woman he could do business with.
INQUISITOR. You claim you made contact with an Expunged entity… simply by stumbling upon it?
SCP-7206. I was drunk at the time, I'm not sure if that's relevant. I was also camping out in some old ruins. You know Shercargo used to be an Ancient city?
INQUISITOR. Of course I knew that! I simply did not expect Expunged to still reside there. The ruins were abandoned centuries ago.
SCP-7206. Sharif, if you let me out of this cell, I could lead you to the place where I met him. The Spirit never said why, but it seemed like that place was important to him…
INQUISITOR. You would betray your own infernal patron?
SCP-7206. It's nothing personal. Just business.
INQUISITOR. And what of the Lady Mary Mann?
(SCP-7206 hesitated again, before replying.)
SCP-7206. She might be there. Who knows?
INQUISITOR. Your cooperation with this interrogation is appreciated. As we agreed, I shall have your chamber made more comfortable. But I will not allow you to lead us into such an obvious trap!
SCP-7206. Redact it! Worth a shot.
SCP-7206 did not respond to further questioning, except to make disparaging remarks about the character and physical appearance of Inquisitor Sharif Nott.
Addendum the Fourth - Update from the Field
Despite the capture of SCP-7206, the crimes of the Brigands of Shercargo Forest continue, now under the leadership of another individual wearing a green hood. Eyewitnesses have described this new leader as being shorter than they expected, but to be capable of firing crossbow bolts with unnatural accuracy. While this could merely be a former deputy seizing an opportunity, it is possible that SCP-7206 continues to command the organization from within its cell, although the layer of lead should block all unnatural emanations. An alternative possibility is that the "Spirit of Shercargo" has found a new avatar for its will, although this theory is based primarily on the statements of SCP-7206. As Inquisitor Nott has noted, SCP-7206 cannot be trusted to tell the truth.
Consulting what remains of the archives of the Ancient Foundation has uncovered fragmentary mentions of a Spirit haunting Shercargo, inspiring a band of outlaws to utilize witchcraft for criminal purposes. While this Spirit was thought to be long dead even in the time of the Saints that founded the Holy Foundation, it is possible that a specter survives to haunt the present.
Inquisitor Nott is currently attending the Conclave on Classification, to discuss with the assembled committee whether SCP-7206 should continue to refer to the brigand commonly known as Robin Chapel, or whether that designation should instead refer to the "Spirit of Shercargo", with the witch currently designated as SCP-7206 being reclassified as merely a single manifestation of its unholy influence.
Addendum the Fifth - Report of Incident
On the Night of the Twelfth Day of the Eighth Month, in the Six Hundred and Thirty-Eighth Year After the Great Breach, the Brigands of Shercargo Forest raided the Eighty-First Monastery, climbing the walls at night and then making their way down into the dungeons. Any guards that attempted to bar their passage were incapacitated or slain. The outlaws then breached the containment of SCP-7206, as well as inciting the defection of the Monastery's D-Caste and carrying off a number of Relics.
Sir Gus Borne made his way to SCP-7206's cell as soon as the alarm bell was sounded, with his sword in hand. Upon arriving at the cell, he was struck down by the hooded leader of the brigands, who fired a bolt from a crossbow into his left leg. Sir Borne reports that he recognized the hooded figure as the Lady Mary Mann, his betrothed before her capture by the Brigands, however she did not appear to be in her right mind at the time. He swears on his honor as a Knight of the Holy Foundation that the following conversation is reported exactly as he recalls it.
MARY MANN. Sir Borne? Is that you?
GUS BORNE. My Lady! You shot me in the knee!
MARY MANN. What are you doing here?
(Mary Mann reloaded her crossbow while speaking. A large orc with pale brown fur stepped between her and Sir Borne.)
GUS BORNE. I have come to keep this Expunged witch contained! Fair maiden, what brings you to this place, in such strange company?
MARY MANN. Sir Borne, I need not kill you. Please remain on the floor.
(Mary Mann opened the hatch on the door to the containment chamber of SCP-7206.)
SCP-7206. Expunge me Mary, you actually came! Not that I ever doubted you would…
GUS BORNE. My Lady, get away from her!
(While speaking to SCP-7206, Mary Mann behaved as if she were unable to hear Sir Borne's voice.)
MARY MANN. Robin, thank me once I get you out of there.
(Mary Mann addressed the orc accompanying her.)
MARY MANN. Jaun, can you open the door?
(The orc proceeded to spread a thick brown paste over the hinges of the cell door. Thick smoke began to rise from it. Mary Mann continued speaking to SCP-7206.)
MARY MANN. Sorry this took so long to organize. The Spirit said we should just abandon you, but I eventually convinced him you'd be more useful on the outside.
SCP-7206. He's speaking to you now? When I stopped hearing him…
MARY MANN. I suppose he moves on fast. I did have to give him your share of the loot…
SCP-7206. I'm penniless? Again?
MARY MANN. Sorry Robin. You know he drives a hard bargain.
SCP-7206. I'll just have to rely on the generosity of my noble lady.
GUS BORNE. She is not yours! She will never belong to you!
SCP-7206. Mary doesn't belong to anyone!
MARY MANN. Please just ignore him.
GUS BORNE. Come to me, my lady! I will protect you!
MARY MANN. Robin, stand clear of the door!
(Mary Mann stepped aside, allowing the orc to kick the door. The door quickly fell open under its brutish assault. Subsequent investigation discovered that the hinges were completely rusted, through the prior application of the unidentified brown substance.)
SCP-7206. Little Jaun, I could kiss you.
(Mary Mann pushed her way past the orc.)
MARY MANN. Jaun is the one you would kiss?
(SCP-7206 then embraced Mary Mann, flaunting its unnatural influence over her mind.)
SCP-7206. I'll thank you more thoroughly later, fair maiden.
GUS BORNE. Unhand her, you perverse witch!
SCP-7206. Unhand her? I can barely keep her hands off me!
MARY MANN. I was so worried about you, Robin.
GUS BORNE. Mary, listen to my voice! I promise, I will free you from her influence!
SCP-7206. Gus, she clearly doesn't return your affections. She just shot you in the knee!
MARY MANN. If I had known it was Sir Borne, I would have aimed higher.
(Sir Borne reports that he could tell the Lady Mary Mann was not speaking truthfully.)
SCP-7206. I could kill him.
MARY MANN. He's not worth it. Not like this.
SCP-7206. Gus, I know the end of a relationship can be difficult, but you've got to stop chasing us. That's a career-ending injury you've got there!
(SCP-7206 gestured towards the arrow in Sir Borne's knee.)
GUS BORNE. No wound shall prevent me from obtaining my vengeance, foul demon!
(At this point, Sir Borne reports the Brigands fled, fearing his righteous fury.)
Although it appears that Mary Mann lead the Brigands of Shercargo Forest during SCP-7206's absence, Doctor Michael Mann denies that his daughter would ever willingly oppose the Holy Foundation, and Sir Borne concurs. It appears that SCP-7206 is capable of compelling obedience through supernatural means, even from within a lead-lined chamber. This may validate the theory that the so-called "Spirit of Shercargo" is the true commander of the Shercargo Brigands, manipulating both SCP-7206 and Mary Mann, but at present this speculation is based upon only the word of unreliable sources.
May the Saints of the Holy Foundation forgive us for our failure, for SCP-7206 has breached its Chamber of Containment. Inquisitor Nott has demoted all surviving sentries that were on duty that night to D-Caste. He subsequently submitted himself for confession and penance, but neither his conduct nor the Sacred Containment Procedures he devised were deemed to be at fault.
A Mobile Legion is being prepared specifically for the pursuit of SCP-7206 and its band of brigands. To ensure that SCP-7206 can be fully contained, all members of the group must either be imprisoned or executed. Mary Mann is to be returned to her father, so that the unholy influence of SCP-7206 may be exorcised from her mind. It is not expected that she will comply with her own recapture, but Legionaries shall take care not to cause her any permanent harm.
SCP-7206 and the Brigands of Shercargo Forest currently remain at large.