We are doing this for them. We are the lock and the key.
Site-01 prior to reconstruction in 1911
Item #: SCP-9559
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures:
Pursuant to the Founding Charter of the Thirteen1 and the Gentleman’s Compact2, under no circumstances are the peasantry3 and those not descended from the Thirteen Dynasties permitted access to SCP-9559 or its contents. All containment and maintenance must be conducted exclusively by personnel of dynastic lineage, under oversight of the O5 Council.
SCP-9559 is located underneath Site-01, formally known as the Ronchegnon Chateau. The entrance to SCP-9559 must remain illuminated at all times by the Pyres of Vigilance, a series of twenty-six iron sconces set into SCP-9559's vestibule arch. Replacement of extinguished pyres is to be conducted at dawn, in accordance with the Rite of Rekindling.
The Hall of Keys shall remain under triple-seal at all times. Entry requires the concurrence of no fewer than three Sacred Custodians, each presenting a separate familial key. Keys must be polished with consecrated oil before use and may not leave the possession of their appointed bearer. Loss of a key is grounds for immediate suspension of dynastic privileges pending O5 inquiry.
SCP-9559 itself is to be entered only during the Triennial Inspection, as outlined in Annex IV of the Compact. The Inspection requires the recitation of the Founding Oath by all available custodians, followed by the offering of ancestral blood (a single drop per lineage) upon the Seal of Concord. Staff not of direct dynastic descent are barred from attendance, observation, or transcription.
In the event of internal breach4, Protocol Cloche-de-Fer is to be enacted. This involves the immediate sounding of the Vault Bell, the mustering of all thirteen Sacred Custodians, and a full twelve-hour litany of extinguishment conducted in the native tongues of each Dynasty. No modern substitutes or translations are permitted.
All personnel assigned to SCP-9559 must undergo yearly genealogical reaffirmation and heraldic re-credentialing to ensure purity of descent. Staff found to have falsified or obscured lineage records are to be remanded to the custody of the Ethics Committee5 for judgment under Compact Law.
Description: SCP-9559 is a massive subterranean vault complex extending beneath the foundations of Site-01. Construction is estimated to have begun in the late 16th century under the joint commission of the Thirteen Dynasties, though extant records differ on whether its purpose was containment, storage, or initiation.
The vault’s interior consists of thirteen contiguous chambers, each associated with a distinct heraldic crest corresponding to a Dynasty. These chambers contain anomalous artifacts of unknown origin, most of which predate the Charter. Descriptions vary significantly across archival sources; some claim they include thaumaturgic weaponry, relics of religious provenance, or entities bound through archaic ritual. Other documentation6 disputes their anomalous properties entirely, citing lack of measurable activity outside ritualized inspections.
A list of all thirteen chambers and their associated artifacts has been compiled in a catalog below. Only Class Aristocrat and above personnel are allowed to view this documentation.
Catalog prepared from Triennial Inspection logs, Charter marginalia, and Department of Modernity Report 9559-0314. Conflicts in measurement, chronology, and observed effects are retained for archival fidelity.
Chamber I - The Argent Nave
Heraldry: Falcon with Silver Accents
Dynasty: House D’Argent.
Description: A long, rib-vaulted hall of pale tufa, acoustically “live”. Paving stones bear faint shoe-heel burnishing consistent with centuries of clockwise procession. A shallow trench runs the length of the central aisle; residue assays alternately report olive oil, myrrh, or iron oxides depending on sampling year.
Artifact: 9559-α, “The Chalice of Redress.” Silver-gilt communion vessel, internal volume ~220 ml.
Charter Notes: “It overflows at the tolling of grief.”
DoM Notes: No supposed "overflow" events were ever witnessed by DoM personnel; dynastic custodians insist the chalice “keeps tally” and must be dried with black cloth only. A 2025 test swapping cotton for linen recorded what custodians describe as a “metallic scent;” DoM personnel recorded nothing unusual.
Chamber II - The Cruciblium
Heraldry: Black Boar Rampant
Dynasty: House Vahlen
Description: Low, barrel-vaulted crypt with limewashed surfaces scarred by soot. Two stone benches flank a central plinth incised with a poem in Middle High German. Original iron doorwork remains intact, showing deliberate asymmetry in its keyway.
Artifact: 9559-β, “The Second Oath.” Arming sword, late 16th c., pattern-welded blade.
Charter Notes: “It may not break, but neither may it lie unheld.” Requires a scion’s daily touch on the hilt to remain at peace.
DoM Notes: Attempts to leave the sword unattended for >72 hours produced no anomalous readings, though custodians claimed to hear “restless clamor.” A fissure in the plinth recorded in 1971 was later found missing.
Chamber III - The Watchpiece
Heraldry: Golden Tower on Scarlet
Dynasty: House Roncevaux
Description: Circular chamber with clerestory oculus and radial black-and-white tiles. A central iron clock mechanism occupies the floor, conduits lacing walls toward its frame. Several tiles replaced in 1983 discolor faster than originals.
Artifact: 9559-γ, “Horologium XIII.” Tall weight-driven clock.
Charter Notes: “Beware the thirteenth strike, for it enumerates beyond sense.”
DoM Notes: An arrestor was installed in 2025 in order to prevent possible further striking. No anomalies recorded. Custodians report occasional sensation of an unheard thirteenth strike felt in their chest.
Chamber IV - The Emerald Cistern
Heraldry: Green Serpent Coiled
Dynasty: House Vescovi
Description: A spiral staircase descends into a damp shaft enclosing a circular pool lined with green encaustic tiles depicting ouroboroi. Relative humidity ~85%. Water is periodically ladled for ritual.
Artifact: 9559-δ, “Ichor.” Marble weight suspended by chain, neutrally buoyant.
Charter Notes: “It holds back inundation; without it, the flood prevails.”
DoM Notes: Anchor sinks only when handled by dynastic personnel. Robotic manipulation yielded no change. No measurable effect from buoyancy otherwise.
Chamber V - The Ash Scriptorium
Heraldry: Black Quill on White
Dynasty: House Adamant
Description: Reading room with walnut shelves, a bricked-over hearth, and chained lecterns. Residue suggests historic burning of vellum. Air particulates contain ancient carbon.
Artifact: 9559-ε, “Names That Remain.” Vellum codex bound in iron chain.
Charter Notes: “False lines will wither, and traitors be erased.”
DoM Notes: Entries in genealogical format appear and fade irregularly. Attempts to inscribe fictive branches fade within days afterwards.
Chamber VI - The Conservatory Beneath
Heraldry: Uprooted Purple Tree
Dynasty: House Rosengart
Description: A sunken glass-roofed conservatory, now turfed over. Central square of earth holds a withered sapling. Roots intrude through adjacent walls, with no living source identified.
Artifact: 9559-ζ, “Heartwood.” Withered bough bound in gold wire.
Charter Notes: “Do not water; it drinks of promise alone.”
DoM Notes: The bough warms slightly when touched. Both DoM personnel and custodians report the appearance of translucent leaves when touching the sapling. Thermal and visual sensors show no actual deviation.
Chamber VII - The Silverscreen
Heraldry: Fractured Silver Crown
Dynasty: House Solenne
Description: Narrow hall lined with opposing mirrors in gilt frames. Glass ages unevenly, producing irregular parallax. Dust accumulates in chevron shapes unless ritually swept.
Artifact: 9559-η, “The World Without A Reflection.” Free-standing mirror with intact backing.
Charter Notes: “It shows heirs veiled, pretenders headless.”
DoM Notes: Under torchlight, observers report altered reflections. Under LED light, the mirror appeared as a dark blank surface. Cameras recorded only ordinary reflections.
Chamber VIII - The Salt Chapel
Heraldry: Crimson Saltire on Blue
Dynasty: House Charleston
Description: Small oratory with walls crusted in mineral efflorescence. Shallow floor basin replenished with blessed salt during rites. Door hinges degrade seasonally.
Artifact: 9559-θ, “Gomorrah.” Oak cradle inlaid with nacre.
Charter Notes: “It dries the tears of heirs.”
DoM Notes: Objects left within desiccate to uniform ~7% moisture. Linen swaddling supposedly confirmed effect in 1978. Modern sponge trials failed. Custodians attribute failure to “incorrect prayer form.”
Chamber IX - The Sanguine Stair
Heraldry: Red Rose with Green Barbs
Dynasty: House Navarre
Description: Tight staircase descends between two landings closer than measurements indicate. Treads stained reddish. Acoustics create illusion of perpetual descent.
Artifact: 9559-ι, “The Mask of Courtesy.” Pressed leather half-mask, dyed red.
Charter Notes: “Promises sworn beneath its gaze may not be forsworn.”
DoM Notes: Custodians report calming influence and credibility enhancement. DoM-controlled trial recorded no physiological changes, though observers rated wearer as more persuasive.
Chamber X - The Indigo Ossuary
Heraldry: Black Wolf on Indigo
Dynasty: House Ulfen
Description: Ossuary chamber with niches containing blue-stained bone fragments sealed in glass. Summer solstice light aligns with painted wolf figure.
Artifact: 9559-κ, "Thirteen Vertebrae.” Indigo-stained cervical bones wired in sequence.
Charter Notes: “The spine of loyalty sustains the Council.”
DoM Notes: Human remains confirmed in re-analysis. Vertebrae emit occasional faint ticking, coinciding with Site-01 elevator brake malfunctions.
Chamber XI - The Iron Menagerie
Heraldry: Gray Anvil with Golden Sparks
Dynasty: House Ferrant
Description: Series of iron cages, some padlocked, others chained to wall rings. Straw replaced quarterly by rite. High EMF fluctuations detected.
Artifact: 9559-λ, “The Unfamiliar.” Cage Three, nominally occupied, remains empty.
Charter Notes: “It is caged, though unseen, and must never be unfed.”
DoM Notes: Custodians insist straw is disturbed after rites. Instruments register no mass. 2025 motion sensor recorded a brief drop in ambient noise.
Chamber XII - The Treasury of Debts
Heraldry: Golden Key on Black
Dynasty: House Claviger
Description: Counting-room lined with oak tally marks, some fresh. False window depicts harvest countryside. Floor worn by repeated kneeling.
Artifact: 9559-μ, “The Lustrum Ledger.” Calfskin account book with iron gall ink.
Charter Notes: “Debts are paid in blood, daylight, and names.”
DoM Notes: Entries fluctuate after vigils or charity offerings. High-res scans show minor ligature drift, attributed to paper expansion.
Chamber XIII - The Seat of Concord
Heraldry: Silver Comet on Yellow
Dynasty: House Cometa
Description: Bare stone chamber with single dais. Sound dampened (−18 dB). Torchlight from vestibule fails to penetrate threshold fully.
Artifact: 9559-ν, “The Empty Chair.” Dark wooden high-backed chair.
Charter Notes: “None may sit while the Compact stands.”
DoM Notes: Thermal imaging shows uniform cold surface. All DoM personnel who sat briefly on 9559-ν reported hearing whispers and thunderous booming. No auditory anomaly was recorded.
Addendum Theogony: Following the Department of Modernity’s series of tests on SCP-9559 and subsequent filing of Report 9559-0314, the O5 Council convened to deliberate on both the report and SCP-9559 itself. The following correspondence was issued to the Department of Modernity upon conclusion of that meeting.
Director Morrison,
I hope this missive finds you well.
The Council has reviewed Report 9559-0314 in its entirety and thanks your Department for the thoroughness with which you pursued your mandate. The deviations trialed were inventive, the instrumentation comprehensive, and the documentation precise. It is clear that the Department of Modernity undertook this task with professionalism and good faith.
That being said, the Council has unanimously agreed that your central recommendation, that SCP-9559 be reclassified and its procedures abandoned or modernized, cannot be acted upon. The Compact remains in force. The Charter remains intact. And so too must the obligations they lay upon us.
Without these rites, there is no Charter; without the Charter; no Compact; without the Compact, there is no duty, no authority, and no shield between the world and what lies beneath it.
The Vault is not a subject for efficiency audits. It is not a line item to be justified or optimized. It is the covenant by which we exist, and it binds us still. Whether your instruments record anomalies or not is irrelevant. The torches must remain lit, the oaths recited, the keys polished, and the chair unoccupied.
Nevertheless, the Council does not dismiss your work outright. Your Department is authorized to continue auxiliary monitoring and provide supplemental sensors during the Triennial Inspection. These measures will remain subordinate to the rites themselves and may not intrude upon their performance. Any further proposals for procedural alteration are to be withheld unless formally solicited.
Director Morrison, we bear these torches because they have always been borne. You will keep them lit. That is the duty you inherited when you joined this institution, and it will be the duty of those who succeed you.