A different magic, and a legacy written in stars.
Item #: SCP-9907
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: The Foundation maintains a small presence in Kazanlak, Bulgaria, with a surveillance suite monitoring the Rujov Estate and their activity within the area. Other assets and family members outside the region are under the purview of assigned deployments. Intelligence gathering efforts are otherwise legally restricted due to their status behind the Veil.
Presently, the Foundation and the GOC retain right of first refusal for thaumic components manufactured by the Rujovs. The Foundation participates in blind-bid auctions for components and receives a 15% legacy discount for bulk acquisitions. Any attempt by other external groups of interest to out-bid the Foundation for mission-critical components shall be met with strong diplomatic or economic measures.
Any action resulting in the disruption of Rujov exports carries a high risk of pan-anomalous market collapse, destabilization of established containment wards, and triggering a multi-factional conflict over Rujov assets.
Description: SCP-9907 is a unique thaumaturgical paradigm practiced by the Rujov lineage. Standard thaumaturgy (as defined by the Unified Theory) relies on the manipulation of local leylines to extract EVE and project onto a flowing matrix. SCP-9907, however, relies on drawing from an unidentified energy-well.
This form of EVE, termed Signature-907, possesses unusual crystalline properties when physically manifested, with a distinct red hue. Further analyses found it to display a zero-decay particulate lattice, inert to entropy even when detached from the practitioner; a major concern in traditional thaumic engineering known as the Hesse effect.
The Rujov Estate is situated at the edge of the Rose Valley, Bulgaria, near Kazanlak. The property is presently centered around a traditional stone-and-timber homestead surrounded by several hectares of terraced gardens and several other buildings. These gardens are lined with a various flowering plants, primarily those of Rosa damascena.
The entirety of the property is blanketed by a high-grade obfuscation spell, rendering it a visual and thaumic sanctuary from surveillance. Despite the field's potency, 20 years of rapid innovation and R&D efforts by Counter-Magicks Division cryptamancers were able to identify an algorithmic flaw in its self-sustaining property; a weakness that could facilitate the installation of a scrying bypass. This operation, conducted over 5 months without triggering alarm-wards, was completed on August 1996.
High-fidelity visual on the estate's exterior grounds was now possible; however internal structures remain shielded by tertiary layers of security. Analysis of these interior barrier(s) would require entry into the property.
Addendum 01 - Property Surveillance [01/24/1997]
The Rujov family, and some associated persons of interest, participate in an annual assembly at the estate during the winter months of January or February; the significance of which is under investigation. On January 24th, 1997, a CMD scrying detail initiated the first unobstructed observation of the gathering that year. To avoid the aperture's detection by an active presence of thaumaturges, a soft-focus setting was primarily utilized.
Cross-referencing attendees verified 54 individuals, including the current family matriarch, Madam Mila Rujova, and some other persons of interest. Anticipated attendees Radomir and Elena Rujov, alongside 9 others, were absent; the cause for their non-attendance is unknown.
Of primary concern was the observation of an unidentified male at the gathering; he appeared to be middle-aged and of indeterminate ethnicity. Cross-referencing him against national birth records, Veil-compliant registries, and the Foundation's own hereditary archives yielded no results. No documented history tied him to the Rujov lineage or any circles therein.
The individual (henceforth POI-9907-1) displayed intimate familiarity with those in attendance. He engaged in casual conversation with nearly every family member, including Madam Rujova, throughout the evening.
Around 22:00, the gathering dispersed as members retreated into the manor from the courtyard. POI-9907-1 remained outside and moved to the lower gardens. Shortly thereafter, Elitsa Rujova (10, granddaughter of Madam Rujova) emerged from the primary household with a torn section of paper and followed in his direction.
Since no other individuals were present, the aperture was transitioned into a Hi-Fi setting. The following transcription details their interaction beginning at 22:05.
The lower gardens, covered with Rosa damascena unusually in bloom at this time of year, are bathed in the soft, amber light from the wrought-iron lampposts lining the walkways. POI-9907-1 is seated on a wooden bench; its white paint is visibly cracking. He lounges back, stretching against his camel wool overcoat with his eyes closed. He untucks his white button-down shirt from his dark trousers as he splays his legs. His features are soft; he appears comfortable.
The air inside the property's ward is temperate and calm, shielded from the snow. A muted pitter-patter is audible as the snow makes contact with the dome and disappears. Crickets are chirping from within the rose bushes. The crunch of gravel is distinct as Elitsa runs toward the bench.
He peeks out with one eye.
POI-9907-1: Long way from the drawing room, sweetheart. Isn't it your bedtime?
Elitsa: Uncle! Uncle!
Still gripping a piece of paper, she crouches, panting exaggeratedly. POI-9907-1 stops reclining and sits forward.
POI-9907-1: Oh, get up Eli. I know how much energy you've got. Don't think for a second I'll believe you're out of breath from a little bit of running.
She giggles and pops up instantly.
Elitsa: Well! If you must know, I was running from everyone else! Grandmother, and all the other boring people trying to get me to play with their kids or tell me how much I've grown.
POI-9907-1: But you have.
Elitsa: Yes! I know! I'm ten! Of course, I keep growing. I'm not stupid.
She says proudly. He chuckles, shifting on the bench to make room for her.
POI-9907-1: Well, god forbid the "boring people" catch you out here. I'd hate to be part of whatever little scheme you're trying to pull. I'm not your accomplice here.
Elitsa climbs onto the bench; her boots scuff the white paint off as she swings them back and forth.
Elitsa: Oh. Grandma saw. She's got good eyes. Heh, she didn't dare stop me.
You know, I always thought your eyes and ears go bad when you start getting all old and wrinkled. But grandma's sharp, like a witch! Thank gosh dad didn't get any of that. I wouldn't be able to do anything!
POI-9907-1: Oh don't call her that, your grandmother's a lovely little lady, always has been. A little strict for sure with you, but don't mind it. She's just got expectations. You know, maybe you'll end up like her too.
She gasps in horror.
Elitsa: No! no no no, I would never! Unlike her, I'll be nicer, and much better. Just you watch.
She huffs loudly.
POI-9907-1: Ha, sure. I'm always around.
Elitsa: Also, hey! You're already my accomplice. You're the one hiding out here in the dark.
POI-9907-1: Hiding? Oh, no. I'll have you know its called meditating. It's pretty complicated. A complicated adult activity. I wouldn't expect you to understand. You got to sit very still, and hope no one comes running out to look for you.
Grinning, she thrusts the paper she is holding toward him.
Elitsa: Too late!
POI-9907-1: Oh? What's this?
The brown paper holds a magic circle, cleanly drawn, with surprising complexity. The line-work is consistent with a certain degree of talent for the arts. The outer ring is packed with tiny inscriptions in a non-standard script, condensing further instructions into the design of the circle.
POI-9907-1: Wow! Sweetheart, you've improved.
No, I'm sorry. This is incredible work, Eli. I love how it's all layered. It's amazing.
Elitsa beams at the praise. She sniffles with a wild grin.
Elitsa: Did it myself! I studied, loads and lots. I even got sick one time, and mama told me to stop. They argued with grandma after that actually! Ha!
He sighs, continuing to studying the circle. He perks up, suddenly.
POI-9907-1: This is…
A grin still plastered over her face, Elitsa carefully takes the piece of paper back and gets up. Standing in front of POI-9907-1, she places the sheet on the ground, circle facing up.
Elitsa: Okay, watch!
Elitsa kneels over the paper, her hair falling over her shoulders, with intense concentration. She places her thumb in the center of the circle and her pinky in the outermost ring, rotating her hands counterclockwise. The characters shimmer red and begin spinning with her movements. Once she's completed a semicircle, the inner circles begin rotating independently. he gets up, excitedly removing her hands. The rings within the circle continue spinning at different speeds for a few more seconds before clicking into position. The paper begins levitating and the entire sheet of paper crushes itself into a ball.
It immediately crystalizes, red, and the ball begins unwrapping itself into a series of jagged, translucent shards that soften and curve as they expand. It blooms as layers of pale, red quartz unfurl.
The resulting flower is a crystal imitation of a rose, intricately carved with its petals thin enough to be translucent. A stem grows out from the bottom and plants itself into the gravel. Elitsa leans over and pulls it from the ground.
Elitsa: Touch it!
POI-9907-1: It's not brittle?
Elitsa: Nope.
POI-9907-1: It's… warm.
POI-9907-1 takes it by the stem. He caresses the petals, enamored.
Elitsa: I did that. I wanted it to stay warm so it's nice to hold.
POI-9907-1 remains silent as he continues inspecting the item. His face is creased. Elitsa seems nervous as she stands stationary in front of him.
Elitsa: What do you think?
His expression softens; he looks up with a light smile on his face.
POI-9907-1: It's beautiful.
Elitsa's worry washes away and she goes back to her usual grin. The light reflecting off the flower hits his face, making his stubble catch the red glow. He seems energized at that moment, even youthful.
He gestures for her to come sit back on the bench. She does.
POI-9907-1: You did this all on your own then?
Elitsa: Yes! All of it! I didn't show anyone!
POI-9907-1: Pretty sure your mother knew though.
Elitsa: What?
POI-9907-1: You think she of all people wouldn't have caught you obsessing over this in the study? Please. She's got to be waiting for you to show her what you're up to.
Elitsa: Oh.
POI-9907-1 laughs.
POI-9907-1: She's not going to be happy to know you wasted it on me.
Elitsa lets out a shout of frustration and tugs his sleeve, pulling him back and forth. POI-9907-1 continues laughing.
POI-9907-1: Okay! Okay! Alright, don't worry. We'll show it to her, together. She'll love it.
She pouts, with her arms crossed. POI-9907-1 is still laughing, but it slowly dies down to a chuckle. He looks down at Elitsa.
POI-9907-1: Oh, sweetheart. Thanks.
Thank you.
Eli, you remind me very much of someone. A friend. From a long time ago.
She tilts her head.
Elitsa: Was she great like me?
A soft, breathy laugh.
POI-9907-1: She was.
She had your spark.
Elitsa: Where did you meet her? Was it at a boring party like this one?
POI-9907-1: Far from it. It was a serendipitous encounter—that means a happy accident.
I was lost, in a way, and she was… well, she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
We got close. Very quickly.
We adventured. We went to places the maps don't even have names for.
She giggles and leans her elbows on her knees as she listens to his musings.
Elitsa: Did you find monsters there?
POI-9907-1: A few. But mostly we found things worth keeping. I wanted her to be safe.
I wanted her to have a place where no winter could reach her.
He slowly gets up, the flower still in his hand. He uses this hand to point upwards at the sky, and looks up. Above, the dome continues to hum.
POI-9907-1: Up there. I made that up there for her, Eli. So she'd always have a place where the roses stay warm.
His eyebrow furrows.
POI-9907-1: Huh.
His raised arm shifts.
Despite the use of a high-grade, non-emissive concealment layer, the aperture was compromised at 22:24. CMD personnel who were operating the scrying mirror and attempting an emergency disconnect of the spell from Site-28 were immediately hit by an unexpected ritual backflow. Some were rendered unconscious. Unaffected personnel reported seeing a finger pressing against the glass of the mirror, causing it to sustain several cracks.
At this point all personnel within the chamber (6 CMD technicians, 4 of whom remained conscious) were subject to a pseudohallucination. The witnesses described an immediate transition to a dark expanse, and the inability to breathe, similar to vacuum exposure. During this time, they reported hearing a voice stating, "It's quite late; goodnight, gentlemen."
Unable to withstand the pressure, the mirror shattered. All six technicians suffered a concussion; three reported minor hemorrhaging from the ears. While their lungs were undamaged, their brains displayed neurochemical signatures consistent with near-asphyxiation. All ten individuals recovered without lasting injury.
Following the incident, it was discovered that the bypass incorporated into the property's ward was lost. Furthermore, it appears to have been reinforced with a much more foreign thaumic architecture, rendering it indecipherable.
Much to the Foundation's relief, the incident was never formally recognized by the Rujov family.
Addendum 02 - Recent Developments
After the catastrophic failure of close-range observation, research into SCP-9907's core principles and mechanisms would continue, with little progress.
Nevertheless, an EVE trace was made to a celestial object at a distance of 5,200 light-years from the Earth. The source exhibited a 99.8% similarity to Signature-907. No formal designation has yet been provided; for the purpose of this file, the object shall be classified as Source-907-Alpha.
Image # 9907-9284
Source-907-Alpha (Caldwell 49), also referred to as the "Rosette Nebula"
Image captured 12/25/22