She crept into the kitchen and found the Castilians hiding in the cold oven. Well, suffice to say it did not remain cold much longer.
Item #: 8213
SCP-8213 in containment at Site PT20.
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Object is to be stored in a standard bulletproof containment case on the lower level of Site PT20. SCP-8213 should be removed from containment every six months and inspected. After inspection, SCP-8213 is to be treated with two coats of tung oil and returned to containment. SCP-8213 should not be exposed to direct sunlight outside of testing.
Description: SCP-8213 is an old-fashioned bread spade. It is made of cork oak (Quercus suber), which carbon dating has approximated to be 700 years old. Analysis of the ring pattern has concluded that the tree SCP-8213 was cut from would have been at least 200 years old at the time.
In spite of the obvious damage SCP-8213 has suffered over the years, it remains capable of performing its intended function. When the object is used to retrieve bread from any oven, the resultant loaf is always of the highest possible quality relative to the ingredients used.
SCP-8213 has a variety of Sympathetic thaumaturgic properties. In accordance with the Law of Sympathy, more of these properties are discovered through repeated testing with the same individual (currently D-20210). SCP-8213's most common properties are as follows:
- Autonomous locomotion (maximum flight speed recorded at 60 km/h)
- Autonomous interposition (object will interpose itself between a Sympathetic individual and any hazards targeting that individual)
- Short-term regeneration
It is assumed that SCP-8213 has other, more esoteric properties, but their discovery is considered unfeasible due to the prolonged amount of time a D-Class would have to spend with the object. Testing with a doctor or researcher has been proposed, but is not being implemented at this time.
Addendum A: Discovery
- 1992 — FARO, PORTUGAL -
The C.O.R.A.I.L. Network
— In Association With —
The Lusophone Foundation
PT:2387
Collected documentation on Academia Tethys
Faro, Portugal
— SCP-8213 (Primary documentation)
— PoI-8723-A and associated translations
— Analysis of Academia Científica do Paranormal
Compiled By PT:2387
— Dr. Natalício de Borges Wilson, BR
— Prof. Félix Machado Machado, PT
— Ernesto Cípiro (PoI-8444), PT
— Ágata Maria Queirós de Pesqueira, PT
— Rosa Ivaschenko, PT/UKR
— Dr. Quim Eleutério, BR
— Dr. J. M. Baron, FRE
Translated Documents
Compiled by Ágata Maria Queirós de Pesqueira of PT:2387
— From 1361 to early 1700 (roughly) —
Fig. 1: Illustration found within Tethys, assumed to be a depiction of the surrounding city.
The following material was recovered from within Academia Tethys, the recovery site of SCP-8213. See additional documentation below for more information on this location of interest.
Based on the contents of the material in question, it is the opinion of this chronicler that SCP-8213 was brought to Tethys by PoI-8723-A.
PoI-8723-A was a female thaumaturge and most likely the creator of SCP-8213. Referred to variously as "The Baker" (A Padeira), "The Sea Witch", and "The Warrior of Aljubarrota", PoI-8723-A appears to have been a significant figure in the late Middle Ages. Translations suggest that she was involved in several noteworthy anomalous events.
PoI-8723-A's remains have not been discovered. It is likely that she attended The Tethys Academy in her lifetime; possibly at a young age, as Document #2 implies that PoI-8723-A was born in an unknown city adjacent to Faro. Translations refer to the city as "Sariss." To date, the only references to Sariss that have been found exist exclusively in anomalous materials/locations.
If the material is to be believed, SCP-8213 was PoI-8723-A's most treasured possession. Why she would leave it in the Tethys library, and what happened to her after doing so, remains unknown.
— Description of attachments —
Document #1: Inscription etched into the wall adjacent to the resting place of SCP-8213, unknown date
Document #2: Letter from PoI-8723-A's mother, addressed to Academia Tethys, 1361
Document #3: Transcribed journal entries from an unknown sailor, 1371
Document #4: Anonymous recount of a sword duel, unknown date
Document #5: Testimony of a resident after the Battle of Aljubarrota, 1385
Document #6: Context unknown (see text)
Document #1: Inscription in the wall adjacent to SCP-8213, unknown date
AS PESSOAS ERAM DE SARISS
MAS AS PEDRAS ERAM DE FARO
THE PEOPLE WERE FROM SARISS
BUT THE STONES WERE FROM FARO
Document #2: Letter from PoI-8723-A's mother to Tethys, 1361
To ⎡illegible, assumed to be a headmaster or liaison⎦ of Academia Tethys:
Do not be surprised at my letter. It is known by all the midwives of Sariss and Faro that my daughter was born with six fingers on each of her hands. All whisper behind my back that it is her destiny to walk ⎡illegible, possibly submundo, "the underworld"⎦, as all your kind do.
Her father and I are ill. God will not keep us here much longer. But my beloved daughter is still a child. I know your ⎡illegible, either batedor ("scout"), or caçador ("hunter")⎦ follows us when we leave Sariss. Will you steal the innocence of a child the moment her family is gone?
This morning, she came to my bedside and told me that if I die, she shall run away. She says she shall go to Spain and ride horses. She shall go to Italy and make bread. She shall find the tallest tree in Portugal and make friends with it. Only then, she says, will she return home. How can a young child be so sure of herself? Soon she will have no family at all, and yet she is not afraid.
Tethys, I am asking you: let her run away.
⎡Remainder of the letter was found disintegrated, likely from oxygen exposure.⎦
Document #3: Journal entries from an unknown sailor, 1371
Day 3
Now have I seen it all. One of the stock to be brought to Spain is a woman with the legs of a sailor and the arms of a harpooner. She swaggers the deck as if one of the men. I am told she was persecuted for pretending to be an arriero ⎡a muleteer, a man who transferred goods on the backs of mules and other pack animals⎦. Her crime shows in her unwomanly behaviour.
The absurd woman has brought her own oar, although she insists it is nothing of the sort. Wherefore its purpose then, wench?
Day 5
The other stock are smart to keep their heads down! The woman-slave's fanciful oar has only bought her more work. 'Tis some entertainment to watch her keep the deck like a common maid!
We approach the Cape of Torment. I think the Captain a fool to take this route, but I am no fool as to question him aloud.
Day ?
Woe upon me. Some unknown nights prior, we came upon the dreaded Cape. The other sailors begged the Captain drop the sails, for it is bad luck to sail the Cape at night. But the Captain only laughed at them.
What horror came upon us when the storm fell! That dreadful face which rose out of the cliff. 'Twas the work of Hell and nightmares and I will speak of it not.
What I shall speak of is the woman-slave, who stood fast upon the deck like a demon herself. When the storm whipped up and tore at the deck, she strode into it, her would-be oar held aloft. None of the hands could stop her as, with a wild cry, she leapt from the deck. I would have thought her drowned if not for the sight of her rising into the air, hip perched on the edge of that wretched oar! No woman at all, but rather, a Sea Witch! And that oar, the implement of her devil's magic!
The curses I flung at her were cut short when a vicious wave tossed me from the deck. I have washed up at the foot of the Cape, a soggy rat. I am lucky that I still breathe, but I fear I will not survive another night in this place. The face of the cliff is sure to find me.
Document #4: Anonymous recount of a sword duel, unknown date
…had been quite well at first. She baked us hearty loaves of bread and boasted about her lucky spade, which never burnt a crust. She went out of the villa and then Abélard turned to me and said: I shall marry her.
But the wench refused! When Abélard rightfully took her wrist with force, she pulled away and surprised us both by pulling forth a sabre. The thin blade had no pommel, and did not resemble the work or style of any craftsmen I knew. Most surprising about this, was that when we stepped outside, she was still in possession of her bread spade — yet when she turned, in her hand was a sabre instead! She tricked our eyes!
She commanded that Abélard duel her for her hand and honour. The fool was too prideful to refuse. I thought she would be bested, as Abélard was known for targeting an exposed hand; but she took a deft half-step around his first swing and cut him in the calf. There was no hope for Abélard after that…
Document #5: Testimony of a resident after the Battle of Aljubarrota, 1385
We shouted at the Castilians as they began to flee. I heard a rumour that seven or eight of their company took refuge in A Padeira's residence, for her door had been left open when she joined the fight. As the rumour goes, when she returned to find the door locked, she used her ⎡unknown/untranslatable word; possible literal translation "witchwords"⎦ to enter silently.
She crept into the kitchen and found the Castilians hiding in the cold oven. Well, suffice to say it did not remain cold much longer. Everyone in Aljubarrota knows the rumours about A Padeira's witch's staff, which she disguises as a long bread spade. No doubt it kept the Castilians firmly in place while the oven warmed up.
I cannot tell you if this story is true or not. But I can tell you that A Padeira's bread was of a rare flavour for a fortnight after, and sold quickly.
Document #6: Context unknown. Speech delivered by an entity which manifested in an inner wing of the library marked "Restricted." The entity resembled a Catholic nun in full dress. Of note is that the entity spoke in modern Portuguese, whereas all previous documentation was in Old Portuguese.
Manifestation was witnessed by A.M. Queirós de Pesqueira and Ernesto Cípiro (PoI-8444).
[Speaking continuously, as if praying] Places of meaning and places of thought. Powered and empty, all return to the rock. God save us. Places of meaning…
[Queirós de Pesqueira interrupts to ask what the entity is doing.]
[Entity's head whips around to face the researchers. Eyes are described as "dead-looking."]
Looking for you, looking for me, looking for the blame. Can't see. See? Not looking for me yet. Not here. Or here, but not yet.
[Pesqueira attempts to ask its identity, but it interrupts her. It speaks continuously and very fast.]
The Baker stepped into the courtyard barefoot, with only her spade in hand. You watched as she took the handle and snapped it over her knee. She held up the spade end and said, "You will need this more than me." Then she went back into the library.
She came out again with only the broken handle. Tucked under her arm was a single fresh loaf in a blanket, which she placed on the edge of the well. "You will need this, also." And she beamed, as if it was a great big joke.
No one in Faro can remember what happened to Sariss. The stones were from Faro, but the people were from Sariss. The stones remain, but the people… Maybe The Baker is gone, too. Can't tell you. Can't see! Some swear she lifted the handle above her head and it carried her into the sky. Others say she walked east until the land became red and the winds stopped whispering her name. Some travellers claim to have seen her in distant lands, kneeling to light fires with no wood.
The spade she left behind is the only truth you have. Is that what you need it for?
There are ovens now in the high Himalaya that never go cold. There is a bakery in Damascus that still prints circles in its flour. There are three sisters in Mozambique who say their grandmother once rode the wind with a wooden paddle longer than her arm.
Do you see that? Do you smell that? Even now, there is bread rising.
[The entity turns away from the researchers and resumes its previous "prayer." No further attempts at communication are successful.]
The Academy — "TETHYS" Campus
Compiled by Prof. Félix Machado Machado of PT:2387, former Academy professor
— Historic Site Recovery & Analysis —
Academia Científica do Paranormal ("The Academy") is a now-defunct Group of Interest. It operated out of Portugal and Spain, but had facilities established across the globe at various points in history. The Academy's influence was far-reaching, with a history spanning from the 10th to 20th centuries. As its name would imply, The Academy was primarily an institution of higher learning, with an emphasis on the anomalous and the occult.
Of particular note is the Tethys Academy, located on the outskirts of Faro. The Academy's own documentation indicates that this campus was abandoned as early as 1653, but there is no way to determine this with certainty. Many of The Academy's campuses were run independently, and cross-records were not a consistent practice at the time. The Foundation only became aware of Tethys in the first place thanks to a series of survey photographs taken by the Athena campus in 1868.
Fig. 2: The abandoned Tethys campus, circa 1868.
The Academy's resources dwindled over time, eventually running out after the political upheaval of World War II. As of this year, The Academy's remaining resources and facilities have been merged with the Lusophone Foundation. Management of these records and facilities is being handled by the newly formed PT:2387 of The CORAIL Network.
Performing their own survey, PT:2387 found Tethys in an even more advanced state of disrepair. After breaking ground, team members were able to locate a central chamber in the campus library which housed numerous documents and objects of interest, including SCP-8213.
Tethys contains several artefacts related to the anomalous world, namely letters and books containing information about various thaumaturgic practices, particularly those relating to the Major Arcana.
Fig. 3: A book preserved using an unknown Inscription. Content appears to be non-anomalous.
"TETHYS" — Anomalous Incident Reports
Compiled by Dr. J. M. Baron of PT:2387
While breaking ground, the PT:2387 team experienced several anomalous encounters. These events are presumed to be leftover thaumic imprints from Tethys's history, and may or may not represent past events that happened on the campus.
— Description of anomalous events —
Incident #1: Library Main Hall, 12/10/1992, 1400 hrs
Incident #2: Library Main Hall, 12/10/1992, 1600 hrs
Incident #3: Various times and locations, 12/10 — 16/10/1992
Incident #4: Library Inner Wing ("Restricted"), 14/10/1992, 1300 hrs
Incident #5: Headmaster's Office/Quarters, 15/10/1992, 1730 hrs
Incident #6: Library Inner Wing ("Restricted"), 15/10/1992, 1500 - 1730 hrs
Incident #1: Library Main Hall, 12/10/1992, 1400 hrs
Upon first entering the main hall, PT:2387 was alerted to the presence of SCP-8213 when it raised upright off the wall and moved autonomously towards the team. Backing up slowly, the team was able to determine that the object was floating towards Ernesto Cípiro (PoI-8444). It is assumed that the object was Sympathetically attracted to PoI-8444 due to his thaumaturgic capabilities.
Dr. N. de Borges Wilson gave PoI-8444 permission to touch the object. Upon taking hold of the broken handle, SCP-8213 ceased autonomous movement and became inert.
Incident #2: Library Main Hall, 12/10/1992, 1600 hrs
After initial inspection of the main hall, PT:2387 did not locate the message (Document #1) written on the wall. While taking survey photographs, team members heard Dr. J. M. Baron shout from the main hall and came to investigate. Dr. Baron states that when she took a picture of the wall, the message appeared simultaneously in the camera lens and on the wall itself. Analysis of survey photography for similar phenomena is under way, and has not yet been released.
Incident #3: Various times and locations, 12/10 — 16/10/1992
At various points throughout the survey, all team members reported the smell of fresh bread. This was most common in the early morning (0600 - 0800) and the early evening (1630 - 1800). Notably, no ovens have been found on site.
Incident #4: Library Inner Wing ("Restricted"), 14/10/1992, 1300 hrs
While inspecting the Restricted wing for recoverable texts, Á.M. Queirós de Pesqueira reported hearing several people talking nearby in Old Portuguese. She described the voices as hushed, and states they were accompanied by the sound of rustling papers. The general dialogue appeared to fit with that of students studying together.
As Pesqueira approached the apparent source, she states she heard one of the voices clearly say, "Come have lunch in Sariss with us." When she turned the corner, the voices ceased.
Incident #5: Headmaster's Office/Quarters, 15/10/1992, 1730 hrs
PT:2387 experienced difficulty accessing the Headmaster's Office due to a collapsed doorframe. Upon gaining access to the space, Dr. N. de Borges Wilson reports seeing a window directly behind the Headmaster's desk. Through the window, the coast to the west of Faro was visible. A tsunami-like wave of dark water was rushing towards the campus from the coastline. The remains of buildings and torn pieces of clothing were visible in the churning wave. When it impacted with the side of the building, the window shattered inward. When Borges Wilson looked up again, however, the water was gone.
The sound of glass breaking was audible to other members of PT:2387. Close inspection of the broken window has revealed layers of dust, which suggests that the glass shattered hundreds of years ago.
Incident #6: Library Inner Wing ("Restricted"), 15/10/1992, 1500 - 1730 hrs
After Incident #4, Rsr. Pesqueira requested the services of PoI-8444 to search the Restricted Wing for unusual thaumic imprints. Shortly after beginning a basic Divination spell, the two encountered the entity described in Document #6.
The initial encounter described in Document #6 lasted a matter of minutes. The entity remained active in the Restricted Wing for the following two hours. During this time, PoI-8444 attempted to identify or disrupt the manifestation using various thaumaturgic spells, to no effect. At approximately 1700 hours, R. Ivaschenko joined Pesqueira and PoI-8444 in the Restricted Wing to observe the entity. Shortly after this, the following incident occurred.
At 1730 hours, Pesqueira, Ivaschenko, and PoI-8444 hear the sound of glass breaking as a result of Incident #5. The group becomes disoriented, as the sound appears to originate from every window at once. PoI-8444 rushes out of the library, ostensibly under the belief that he can assist the other researchers.
Ivaschenko states that, almost immediately after PoI-8444's departure, Pesquiera and the entity spontaneously cease to exist.
Pesquiera states that, the moment PoI-8444 leaves the library, the building around her disappears. The walls around her dissolve into a churning white substance that resembles water. She is still able to see the entity, but not Ivaschenko.
Ivaschenko begins shouting Pesquiera's name. Pesquiera is able to hear her, but quickly determines that Ivaschenko cannot hear her response.
The entity abruptly ceases praying and begins to approach Pesquiera. It says, "Now's the time for it. Let me in, and I'll tell you a secret. If you're a good girl, it will be the last secret there ever is." Pesquiera has no deeper understanding of this statement, or why the entity is targeting her specifically.
In the Main Hall, PoI-8444 hears a secondary crashing sound, which causes further confusion. Moments later, SCP-8213 flies past him.
SCP-8213 enters the Restricted Wing at high speed and stops in mid-air, interposing itself between Pesquiera and the entity. Both Pesqueira and Ivaschenko are able to see the object throughout the rest of the incident.
The entity attempts to move around SCP-8213. SCP-8213 angles itself in the air, as if being held at the ready. The entity appears unwilling to touch the object, and due to its interposition, is unable to cross its path without doing so.
SCP-8213 strikes the entity with an audible crack. Other PT:2387 members report hearing this sound elsewhere in the building.
The entity begins screaming incoherently. At the same time, Pesquiera reports that the Tethys ruin "flashes" back into existence around her. The effect is extremely bright and painful to the naked eye.
Pesquiera becomes disoriented due to the "flash" sensation, and is unable to see properly. When she opens her eyes, she sees a woman with six fingers on each of her hands holding SCP-8213. The woman looks at Pesquiera and smiles broadly. She then uses SCP-8213 to drive the entity back, striking it repeatedly. The "flash" sensation becomes stronger with each strike, and Pesquiera briefly loses consciousness.
Ivaschenko observes SCP-8213 advancing alone across the length of the library, making repeated striking motions, before abruptly falling to the floor. The entity does not reappear. Pesquiera appears in the same position where she had disappeared, unconscious.
SCP-8213 is retrieved without further incident. Investigation is underway as to the nature of the entity in the Restricted Wing. At this time, further exploration is not authorized.
Addendum B
- 1992 — Site PT20, Brazil -
Access Granted
After closely analyzing the contents of the Inscribed book (Fig. 3) found in the library, Prof. F. Machado Machado was able to date the tome to the 17th or 18th century. The text appears to be a brief account of the history of Sariss. This city purportedly shared an adjacent wall with Faro that was egressed by the Tethys campus.
Cross-reference highly suggests that the people and buildings of Sariss spontaneously ceased to exist as a result of SCP-8162. This would serve as an explanation for the sudden abandonment of the Tethys Academy.
Research into this, and other possible correlations, is ongoing.