Reading this article counts as a conservation effort.
Canon Hub » From 120's Archives Hub / EMERALD DAWN » SCP-8276
Primary Document
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-266 is to be contained in an airtight containment unit at Site-32. The internal temperature of this containment unit should be kept between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius at all times, with more than five degrees difference from the above range being considered an early-stage containment breach. All personnel entering this chamber are required to wear specially designed protective gear to guard against the anomalous effects of SCP-266.
Description: SCP-266 is a collection of seven free-floating masses of Elan-Vital Energy1 resembling small balls of fire. The coloration of the masses within SCP-266 differs based on the viewer, and colors across the spectrum of visible light.2 However, the most commonly observed color is a light blue, with a slightly darker shade toward its "center."
SCP-266 is animate, and capable of movement. While the individual masses within SCP-266 will typically move around and "interact" with one another in some way, the entity as a whole will only move in pursuit of either sources of heat or Elan-Vital Energy. If one is discovered by SCP-266, it will remain in physical contact with the source, and appear to "drain" the energy until it is rendered close to inert, at which point it will attempt to locate a new source. Due to the high ambient body temperature of most human beings, and the natural flow of Elan-Vital Energy through the human body, humans are a common target, with skin contact being required for SCP-266 to begin its siphoning. In humans, this process will generally last between one to three hours. No fatalities have been reported as a result of SCP-266 contact, but hypothermia is a common result, alongside lowered energy levels and an overwhelming feeling of melancholy for up to a week after contact.
Research into SCP-266 is ongoing.
ADDENDUM 266-1
Discovery Log
SCP-266 was initially discovered on November 26th, 2019, a short distance outside of Cobh, Ireland, after several videos taken by residents of the area gained traction online, claiming to have seen "will-o-wisps" near street lamps outside their homes after dark.
Date: November 26th, 2019
Location: Cobh, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Personnel Present: Agents Leon O'Sullivan and Manpreet Bajwa
[Begin Recording, 2217 Hours.]
O'Sullivan and Bajwa drive through the town center, passing Saint Colman's Cathedral as they head north. The streets are mostly empty, with the occasional car driving in the other direction passing the van the two are driving. Bajwa is hunched over the steering wheel, while O'Sullivan hums along to the vehicle's radio.
Bajwa: God, this song is terrible. Why do none of these stations play anything that's not on the charts right now?
O'Sullivan: [He shrugs.] Sometimes, if you're lucky, you might get some Metallica or something. Still, most of the big stations really haven't spread themselves out. Same five songs, over and over. Same as it ever was.
Bajwa: Can we even hook our Spotify up to these things? Put on some Joy Division on Foundation property, y'know?
O'Sullivan: I think so? Honestly, I'm not arsed to check, but I'd say there's a solid 80 percent chance they have the Bluetooth untouched. Check, next time you get called out.
The two continue their drive in silence, before pulling off the road a few minutes later, coming to a stop in the parking lot of a Lidl a short distance outside of the town. A few meters ahead, SCP-266 can be seen descending from a street lamp, its movements slow and shaky.
O'Sullivan: That's our yolk?
Bajwa: Guess so. [She pauses, looking up at the road to their right.] Seems quiet, but it's probably worth doing some sort of quick concealment on it before we bring it into the van.
O'Sullivan: Mist ball?
Bajwa: Mist ball.
Bajwa moves to grab the camera on the dashboard around, as O'Sullivan fiddles with the glove box. The footage becomes shaky as the two exit the van, and stand in front of it, a short distance below SCP-266. It stops mid-air, making a high-pitched humming sound as it begins to move toward Bajwa. O'Sullivan steps forward, a large plastic bottle of water in one hand. For a moment, a white light covers the bottle, which crackles as its contents freeze. Quickly, he removes the cap and places it on the ground. Another wave of light and sound is heard as the contents of the bottle quickly defrost, releasing a small cloud of mist from its open neck.
SCP-266 squeaks, and begins to move upward, away from the cloud. Bajwa extends a hand into view, and the mist quickly begins to surround SCP-266. The sounds it makes are largely drowned out by a strong breeze that has picked up in the area. Slowly, a ball of thick grey mist engulfs SCP-266, before the entity is lost from sight entirely. Bajwa raises an upturned palm, and lets the softly glowing ball of air descend into her hand. O'Sullivan steps forward, retrieving the bottle of water and moves to drink from it. He subsequently spills a large amount of its remaining contents down the front of his jacket.
O'Sullivan: Bollocks!
Bajwa: Got 'em. [She turns the ball over in her hand, the surface shifting as the mist is blown around SCP-266 inside.] You mind driving, Leon?
[End Recording, 2221 Hours.]
Following this, SCP-266 would be transported to Site-32 for testing and containment, as well as provisional classification.
ADDENDUM 266-2
TESTING RESULTS STATEMENT
Statement given by Agent Manpreet Bajwa, of the Site-32 Department of Ontokinetics' Thaumaturgy Division
Truth be told, I've never done this before. I apologize if there are some errors in the general… everything, in this statement.
So, it's been around a week since we first brought in 266. We've done a full battery of tests on it, and we think we've got a decent idea of how it behaves and operates. I'll save you the very basics, since this will likely come attached to a copy of the file, which should have them in the Description section. Now, moving on from that…
So, we figured out it's attracted to two things: EVE and heat, in that order. In basically every test we ran, no matter if the choice is between a cat and a roaring fire, it'll hone in on the EVE source. This means it's technically drawn to living organisms and EVE-dense anomalous objects, first and foremost. In the case of living beings, it doesn't do a complete drain. It'll suck enough out of you to leave you with a general sense of apathy and lethargy, but not enough to do any lasting damage. Well, not exclusively living beings either. Lucy wandered by during testing one day, and she seemed to be completely fine. Anomalous objects, on the other hand, get drained completely. My septum piercing used to be a properly enhanced casting focus, until I got called to bring this thing in. The larger the object, the longer it feeds. You get the idea.
It also seems to have some level of rudimentary intelligence. Or, well, survival instincts. It seems to be adverse to going near Agent O'Sullivan, which I thought didn't make sense for a time. Then, I remember he specializes in ice thaumaturgy. He must have a… weird flavor, or something. Maybe it's like eating ice cream on your average November evening for 266. It also seems generally adverse to low temperatures, testing concludes that minus ten degrees Celsius is a general cut-off point for what it's willing to put up with. Sixty degrees also seems to be another cutoff, unless it's actively feeding on the source. It starts… bloating, I think the right word would be. It gets larger, starts moving slower, that sort of thing. It seems to be most content in the range of the fifties, so that's been incorporated into the Containment Procedures.
As far as we can tell, it can't feed off of more "natural" forms of EVE. It won't consume the heat from fire produced with thaumaturgy, or get close to anything produced with a spell. Might be worth experimenting to see if there are exceptions, but for now it's a secondary priority.
Now, our primary focus in future tests is this. The day before I wrote this statement, Director Byt'yod suggested running the sounds 266 makes through a spectrogram. It constantly emits these weird humming noises, really high-pitched. It's not unheard of for anomalies to behave weirdly in the realm of auditory communication, so we decided to run a test. No results from visualization, but it did give me the idea of changing the speed and pitch of the recording to see if it was just noise. As it would turn out, it wasn't. It's actual words, being said at five times the regular speed. We've been able to identify it speaking in… three languages. Irish, Hibernian Fae, and English. Mind you, it doesn't seem to actually be speaking. Most of the things it's saying are completely random, arbitrary sentences. "It's been sunny lately. The deer should be rutting in a few weeks," stuff like that. It's like a toy where you press its belly and it says a line, it's just spouting things it seems to know. It also doesn't seem to understand speech. Or, it does, and it just can't control its response. There's no brain, and seemingly no thought, so psionic investigation is a no-go, and Lucy doesn't think it's spectral in nature.
So, we've got seven floating balls of fire that are magical heat vampires, spewing nonsense at an undecipherable speed and no clue where to go from here.
I guess we'll have to keep testing.
ADDENDUM 266-3
ADDITIONAL INSTANCE DISCOVERY
The following footage was recovered from Agent Bajwa's smart doorbell at her home in Templemore, on January 25th, 2020.
Begin Footage, 1847 Hours
The footage displays Bajwa's driveway, and a black Nissan Micra. The road beyond the driveway is empty, the sun sinking below the horizon over the stone wall opposite. The sound of the door opening is heard, and Bajwa exits the house wearing a white dress shirt and jeans, holding a jacket in one arm as she turns to close the door. Quietly, she hums the melody of Joy Division's "Disorder" as she locks the front door behind her and unlocks the car. She walks over and opens the driver-side door, throwing the coat over to the passenger seat and moving to sit inside, before stopping. Her free hand goes to her pocket, before she groans audibly.
Bajwa: Fucking phone.
She slams the car door shut, visibly annoyed, and quickly returns to the front door, unlocking it and throwing it open before entering. The camera loses view of her, but continues to pick up her swearing in Urdu for several seconds.
The last of the sun's light is blocked by the stone wall. As the camera feed adjusts to the dim light, several small motes of purple-blue light appear in Bajwa's driveway, just in front of her car. These take form as small balls of flame, resembling SCP-266. They emit a short squeaking noise, and drift toward the front door.
Bajwa emerges from the front door, phone in hand, and quickly closes and locks it again.
Bajwa: Tum Bilkul Gadhey ho, Manpreet.3
She turns, half-stepping toward the car, before she notices the SCP-266 instance. She freezes, staring at it as it hovers in front of her. Similarly, it stops moving briefly, before quickly moving toward Bajwa, one of the flames brushing against her nose. She ducks away, covering her nose with her hand as she takes a step back.
Bajwa: Not the septum again, for fuck's sake!
She raises a hand, dropping her keys to the ground, and begins to conjure a ball of wind around the SCP-266 instance. It does not resist. Taking the invisible ball in her hand, she puts her phone down, before putting her keys into her pocket and retrieving the device, opening it up and dialing a number.
Bajwa: Hey, Orla? Yeah, are you there already?
She pauses, likely receiving an answer.
Bajwa: Okay, good. Look, can we maybe push this back an hour? [She looks at the SCP-266 instance in her head angrily.] Just had something come up for work, shouldn't take too long?
She pauses again.
Bajwa: Yes, I promise.
She pauses one final time, and nods.
Bajwa: Alright. See you soon. Love you.
She hangs up, and begins to dial a new number.
End Recording, 1850 Hours
Recording of incoming call to Director's Office, 25/01/2020
Begin Recording, 1850 Hours
Byt'yod: Bajwa, I thought you were off today.
Bajwa: Yeah. I was. Had plans and everything.
Byt'yod: What's the— [She cuts herself out, yawning.] What's the matter?
Bajwa: One of two things. Either 266 breached, or there's another one.
Byt'yod: …Pardon?
Bajwa: Look, there's a floating bundle of flames at my front door that tried to grab my nose. It's 266. Or looks like it, at least.
Byt'yod: Oh, for fuck's sake. Hang on a second. [The following audio is slightly distant.] Ngapoi! Can you do me a favor?
[78 seconds of extraneous audio removed.]
Unknown: [Distant] Still there!
Byt'yod: Well, apparently, 266's still in there. So—
Bajwa: So I've got the shiny form. Fucking great. Just did a quick headcount. This one's got, uh, nine in it? The one we have has seven, right?
Byt'yod: Six or seven. Definitely less.
Bajwa: Great. I'll bring it in. Say, can I just…
Byt'yod: Yes, you can file the discovery report tomorrow. Just… get to the nearest Way and we'll have someone to hand it over to there soon. Go back to your dinner date, or whatever it was.
Bajwa: Thanks, boss. I'll have it on your desk an hour after I clock in.
Byt'yod: Sounds good. Oh, and one more thing.
Bajwa: Yeah?
Byt'yod: Shiny Pokémon typically don't change anything about the creature design other than the colors. This would probably be more like Vivillon, where-
A sigh is heard from Bajwa's end, and the call is terminated.
Byt'yod: …Rude.
Byt'yod terminates the call fully.
End Recording, 1853 Hours
Following this, the newly recovered instance of SCP-266 was placed in containment alongside the original. While no plans were made to make major alterations to the SCP-266 file, the Classification Committee were alerted to the discovery of an additional instance, and the possibility that it may be part of a wider group of entities, or related to a separate phenomenon.
ADDENDUM 266-4
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
Interview Log 26/01/2020-1
Interviewer: Agent Manpreet Bajwa
Interviewee: Garda National Consensus Bureau4 Liaison Séamus Andrews
Begin Interview, 1117 Hours
Andrews sits on a couch in the Site-32 Recreation Area, arms spread across the back of the cushions. Bajwa sits opposite him in a plastic chair, visibly annoyed.
Bajwa: Alright, getting this out of the way quickly. Did the Bureau know about 266 before I called you here today?
Andrews: …Yeah, I passed my Leaving Cert with a seventy-something in Ordinary Level Maths. Which of your little odd yolks are you talking about?
Bajwa produces a physical copy of SCP-266's file and passes it to Andrews. He takes it and reads through it, nodding to himself before setting it to the side.
Andrews: Will-O'-Wisps? [He snorts.] Don't you guys have bigger fish to fry?
Bajwa: Answer the damn question, Andrews.
Andrews: No, we didn't. Most of the stuff we handle is a lot more focused on people. Paracrime, that sort of thing. Plus, thinking you saw a floating ball of fire outside your window isn't exactly something you'd go and call the Gards over. Your brother, maybe, but not really a thing worth bringing us out over. Y'know? Besides, this could always be some newbie mage on their path of self-discovery, conjuring… mobile fireballs.
Bajwa: I doubt that's the case, considering we've found two of them, in two completely different parts of the country, about two months apart.
Andrews: Lot of twos. Could be a prankster. We get plenty of those, especially around the Dublin office.
Bajwa: Can you please take this seriously?
Andrews: I don't get paid to take you seriously. [He removes a packet of gum from his coat pocket, removing a stick.] I do, however, get paid to make sure you guys aren't breaking the rules you signed off on when we and the British kicked you maniacs out back in 1922. [He puts the stick into his mouth, shifting it into his cheek with his tongue, and offers the packet to Bajwa.] Want one?
Bajwa: Do they give you a bonus for being a dickhead on the clock? Or is this for the love of the game?
Andrews says nothing, and gestures to the packets.
Bajwa: [She sighs.] What flavor?
Andrews: Apple. Sugar-free, too.
Bajwa: …I'll take two.
Andrews: Take three. I think you need it.
Bajwa takes the gum, and begins to chew. The two sit in silence for a minute, chewing.
Andrews: And no, I don't. It does, however, get me free drinks on Fridays. Lads down in Publin eat stories about this shit right up.
Bajwa: Unbelievable.
Andrews: Quite, actually. Lot of people can back me up. But, to answer your question truthfully, no. Usually we don't get reports of these sorts of things, outside of a weird bubble back in the late nineties. Parawatch was getting pretty popular then, so we had a lot of wannabe ghost hunters running around the place. Usually never found anything, but we ended up getting called out a lot, apparently.
Bajwa: Sort of their lot in life.
Andrews: Not really. They just suck at actual paranormal investigation. [He pulls a piece of tissue paper from another pocket, and spits the wad of gum into it, rolling it up and throwing it at the nearest bin. He misses.] That said, if there just so happens to be something out there we've missed, I reckon you should chat with the lads over in the Sidhe Lounge5 about it. Don't miss anything, that lot.
Bajwa: You think we're looking at fairy lights? [She snorts.]
Andrews: No. I'm just saying, if the organization that lost most of their historical records in a fire in the 1920s don't know shit about it, maybe the people with a library stretching over literally thousands of years might.
Bajwa: …You make a good point.
Andrews: I'm known to. Now, if that's all, I'll be on my way.
Bajwa: One last thing.
Andrews: Mmm?
Bajwa: If I find out you told someone about this to save ten quid on a pint, I'll beat you senseless.
[Andrews nods curtly.]
End Interview, 1124 Hours
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Hi. Sorry if this goes to the wrong person, there's three people listed on this subnet that have first names that're spelt really similarly, and my keyboard's slowly losing its mind. If this isn't you, please forward it to Heleyi Shey?
If this is the right person, good. I've heard from an associate you were familiar with old Fae legends in the British Isles, specifically monsters and such. I may need your expertise for something. If you're not able to help me, it's alright, but shoot me a name for someone who might.
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Hey there! Yes, this is Heleyi, don't worry.
I'm certainly able to help, at least to the best of my ability. Feel free to float any questions you have my way, and I'll get back to you with an answer ASAP. The Sidhe Lounge's database is pretty extensive, so I think you should be covered in regards to a lot of things.
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Alright. What do you have on Will-O'-Wisps? We've had a few things that sort of looks like them pop up in the last few months, so we're trying to check if there's something out there that might match what we're seeing. I'm cleared to transfer our document on it, if need be. Thanks.
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Sorry, but there's quite a few things like that in the records. Mostly in Avalon, which rules them out, but a few outside as well. Could you give me a small description? Colors, size, that sort of thing?
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Alright. There's about… twelve of them in total. They seem to move in masses, so there's one with seven and one with five. Both of them are kind of… blue-y? Somewhere between turquoise and violet. Do the numbers really matter?
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Shouldn't do. Are they constantly making high-pitched noises, acting like some kind of heat vampires?
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
I take it you know the thing I'm talking about, then?
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Quite well, but it'll take me a while to bring up the text we have on it. That said, I think you may need to see something in relation to it. You wouldn't happen to be in the general area of Cashel in late February, would you?
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
I live in Tipperary, I think it's about an hour's drive from where I am. I can drive down, put it down as official business.
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Excellent. Meet me near the entrance to the Rock of Cashel at around sunset on the 23rd. Since I don't really have to worry about Veil protocol after dark, you'll know me when you see me. How's your vision in the dark?
Agt. M. Bajwa
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
Fairly good. Why?
H. Shey
[ADDRESS CENSORED ACCORDING TO SCPF-UNGOC COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES]
You're going to be doing a lot of staring into the darkness. But, I promise, it'll be worth it. I'll see you then, ideally with the document I promised you. Until then, Sáita agas síoca.6
Date: February 23rd, 2020
Location: Cashel, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland
Personnel Present: Agent Manpreet Bajwa (SCP Foundation), Archivist Heleyi Shey (Sidhe Lounge)
[Begin Footage, 1807 Hours]
Bajwa stands, arms crossed, at the end of the road leading up to the Rock of Cashel. The surrounding area is largely silent, save for a crow on a nearby signpost. It caws at her, and she makes a similar noise in return. It flies away as the sound of a car approaching is heard, and an SUV pulls to a stop in front of Bajwa. The passenger side door opens, and a man with crimson red hair exits, nodding to someone inside the vehicle before closing the door. The vehicle backs up and performs a turn, before driving away, leaving the man and Bajwa alone.
Bajwa: Shey, I assume?
Shey: You can call me Heleyi, but yes. Pleasure to meet you, miss Bajwa.
Bajwa: Likewise. So… We're here why exactly?
Shey: I think there's something here tonight you may want to see.
Bajwa: Another Wisp?
Shey: Not exactly. Come on, walk with me.
Shey begins to walk along the road up to the Rock. Bajwa follows behind, using thaumaturgy to make the camera float behind the pair.
Shey: You know about leylines, correct?
Bajwa: Yeah. Any thaumaturge who isn't half-assing their theory knows about them. Why?
Shey: Then you know Ireland sits along one.
Bajwa: Yeah. The Berlin-Shanghai Line. Largest one in Europe and Central Asia. Why are you asking me this?
Shey: It'll make sense in a moment. Ye know about the line, what about the knot?
Bajwa: Pardon?
Shey: The knot. In the leyline.
Shey approaches a wall near the top of the road, and follows it until he reaches a spot with a view of a large swath of farmland to the north. Bajwa follows, stopping a short distance away from him, between a pair of Celtic cross headstones.
Bajwa: I— no, I don't.
Shey: Ah, story for later, then. Come on, you look like some eejit standing beside that grave.
Bajwa stares at Shey for a moment, before grumbling and moving to stand beside him, leaning her arms on the top of the stone wall in front of them.
Bajwa: So… What're we looking for?
Shey: You'll see. Give them a minute. They're shy.
Several minutes pass. The sun sets completely, causing the camera to shift to night vision. Shey and Bajwa stand in silence, watching the farmland in front of them, before Shey raises a hand, pointing to the northeast.
Shey: Take a looksie over there.
Bajwa and the camera follow his direction. In the distance, a large number of small, blue lights have appeared close to the ground, slowly drifting upward in a small cloud. As they move, more motes of light emerge from the ground below them, growing in size before grouping together and following the previous group. They float across the farmland, moving eastward.
Bajwa: Woah.
Shey: Quite the sight, isn't it? [He smiles, placing his hand under his head as he leans against the wall.] Must be about a hundred so far.
Bajwa: Is this a regular thing? It happens every month? I feel like someone would've brought it to our attention if it was.
Shey: Regular, yes. Here, no. It's… a bit more widespread, happens all over the island. A bit in northern Wales, too. As for why nobody notices… I'm not sure. I think they're composed of what ye more scientific folks would call EVE. Purely magical… entities, as far as I can tell. Perhaps only those who're more attuned to the flow of it through the world can properly make them out. Mages, and such.
Bajwa: That's why you asked me about the leylines, then?
Shey: Sort of. That's part of the explanation as to why these things exist, but I won't bother you with it right now.
Bajwa: I think I'd like it if you enlightened me now, actually.
Shey: Ah, just enjoy the view, for the love of God.
Bajwa grunts, and returns her attention to the mass of SCP-266 instances. A few seconds later, she squints at something, before grabbing the camera from its floating position.
Bajwa: The fuck is that?
Shey: Eh?
Bajwa activates the camera's EVE detection filter, before angling it toward the farm. The procession of SCP-266 are still visible, glowing bright blue, but a larger entity appears to be leading them across the fields. It appears roughly humanoid, close to the height of a house, with a lanky frame and glowing blue eyes. Its head appears similar to that of a rabbit, albeit with no discernible mouth or ears, and a ribcage is visible through its long, distended torso. Its skin is completely black, and in one hand it holds a large, similarly black rod, ending in a set of three chains, from which an object resembling a lantern swings, thin slits of electric blue light swinging back and forth against the cloudy sky. Its movements are slow, striding across the field silently. For a moment, a faint discoloration in the bright blue of the creature's eyes shifts, as if it were adjusting its gaze to look at Bajwa and Shey, before quickly shifting again, back to facing as close to ahead as it can manage.
Bajwa: What. In the fuck. Is that?
Shey: Ah, finally. Took you long enough to notice Dubbie.
Bajwa: It has a name?