SCP-ZH-736
Item#: ZH-736
Level3
Containment Class:
safe
Secondary Class:
none
Disruption Class:
dark
Risk Class:
notice

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-ZH-736 is contained in a locked safe of moderate risk objects in Site-ZH-63. The Nintendo Switch game console originally used to perform the SCP-ZH-736 experiments was contained in the same containment unit and has been handed over to the RTF-Bi-05 "Curse of the Triforce", which is composed of experts from RAISA-ZH, Dept. of Pataphysics and the Dept. of Information Technology for examination and debugging. All scheduled experiments of SCP-ZH-736 are currently being suspended indefinitely until the Dept. of Pataphysics and HMCL-ZH confirm that the item will not cause advanced narrative hazards.

Description: SCP-ZH-736 is an anomalous The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game card. The origin of the item remains unknown. Before experiment ZH-736-361, the item is compatible with any functional Nintendo Switch game console, and will not cause infectious hazards to affect the console's normal function. The appearance of the item is no different from other game cards of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. To avoid confusion, Foundation researchers have used a black marker to write "ZH-736" on the plastic side of item.

The anomalous effects of SCP-ZH-736 mainly express on elements related to the game protagonist "Link", and will appear only after the character buys his own house in Hateno Village (this plot also exists in normal game files). Among all the game files set in SCP-ZH-736, object "Link's Private Diary" (designated as SCP-ZH-736-1) will appear in Link's private house, which never appeared in other normal files. SCP-ZH-736-1 can be obtained by Link and stored in the backpack system, and will not disappear in the game. Deleting the anomalous code of SCP-ZH-736-1 will cause the game files unable to start or restart.

If the player "opens and browses" SCP-ZH-736-1 after every in-game 6:00 a.m. in the morning, a few paragraphs written from Link’s perspective will be displayed on the screen, describing the important activities in the past 24 in-game hours. These records suggest that the "Link" in SCP-ZH-736 has a certain extent of "self-awareness", and can rationalize the player's control to be his own will and "guides from Goddess Hylia".1 If Link "dies" in the game, the contents of SCP-ZH-736-1 from the last saved progress to the character's death event will disappear. The content of the record will be continued from the last saved progress. Neverthless, Link seems to have memory imprints on the previous death events in the game, and will feel uneasy about the places where he have died frequently, regarding these "false" memories as "nightmares" or "ominous signs."

Experiment ZH-736-361 is believed to be the main cause of the drastic changes of the internal narrative settings in SCP-ZH-736, which led to the collapse of the game system and [REDACTED] SCP-ZH-736 is currently locked and not allowed to be used in any experiment.

Addendum ZH-736-1: Excerpts from SCP-ZH-736-1 Experiments

Record File: zh-736-1-002
Activity Overview: Link left Hateno Village and arrived the Dueling Peaks Stable on foot. The major activities on the way are mushroom gathering and attacking pig-headed humanoid hostile creatures called Bokoblins.

ZH-736-1 content: "Need to find a horse. So many mushrooms here. Need more weapons."

Record file: zh-736-1-010
Activity Overview : Link took three days to set off from the Hyrule Ridge and arrived Rito Village for the first time in this game file. Killed a bear on the way.

ZH-736-1 content: "There are bears here. It's a bit cold. I arrived at Rito Village, where there are many birdmen. / Impa said I might be able to see a old comrade here. Maybe I should ask a passers-by? / Never mind. This place makes me dizzy. Some more important thing I need to deal with. Need more heart containers. "

Note: the researchers deliberately manipulates Link to wander over and over in Rito Village and interact with no NPC. It is speculated that Link will rationalize the inconsistency between his thoughts and behaviors.

Record file: zh-736-1-033
Activity Overview: Researchers deliberately let Link be repeatedly killed by the same enemy ten times on the Akkala Tower, leaving the region afterwards.

ZH-736-1 content: "Akkala Tower is dangerous. It feels like I've come here for many times before. The repetitive dreams and the Bokoblin. I had died every time. / Should go find a horse and leave here."

Note: The record shows the potential existence of memory imprinting phenomenon. More experiments are needed.

Record file: zh-736-1-049
Activity Overview: Researchers spent seven days completing "Stranded on Eventide" trial on Eventide Island, and were killed ten times in the process. Researchers meant to not open the seven-day records of SCP-ZH-736-1 until the trial is accomplished.

ZH-736-1 content: "I came to an overseas island called 'Eventide Island' and accepted the forced trial of the Sheikah guru. Except for the Sheikah Slate and the paraglider, all materials I've ever had were taken away. This would get tough."

"This place is dangerous, the island has four camps and a one-eye giant. So many monsters. "

"More and more resources gathered. Found all three platform for orbs today."

"Two orbs left. "

"Today I brought down the Hinox with bombs. Running everywhere is exhausting."

"One orb left. Goddess Hylia, please show me the path."

"Today is the seventh day. I finally completed the trial on Eventide Island and entered the Sheikah Shrine. I feel like it's been a decade. / It's strange, I should've never come to this place before, why are the feelings of making survive on island and dying here feel so familiar……. / Maybe my memory one hundred years ago starts to recover. / I want to leave here. "

Note: In this mission of a normal file, all Link's equipments and resources will be taken away by the system, with only the paraglider and the Sheikah Slate left with him. In the SCP-ZH-736 files, SCP-ZH-736-1 (Link's Diary) will not be taken away either.

Record file: zh-736-1-067
Activity Overview: Link arrived in the southwest desert zone of the map, heading along to Kala Kala Bazaar to meet a character and purchase a Gerudo set in order to enter Gerudo Town. After getting the Gerudo female set, one internal clip will be played: Link will find that the character is actually a man dressing to be a Gerudo woman as a gust of wind blowing off the veil of the character.

ZH-736-1 content: "I arrived at the Kala Kala Bazaar today, and the Goddess Hylia guided me to get to the top of the big rock, where I met someone who could provide me with suitable clothes to enter the city. / HeShe2 praised me for looking good under the Gerudo set, but I just couldn't reply her "You are beautiful as well."

Note: In the general plot, if Link tried to enter Gerudo town without wearing the Gerudo set, he will be stopped by the female guards at the town gate. In the experiment, Link did not know the rule previously but obtain the required set ahead of the knowing the rule. He attributed the player's deliberate guidance to be "guidance from the Goddess Hylia."

Record file: zh-736-1-085
Activity Overview:Researchers deliberately make Link gather natural resources in Faron Rainforest for three days, deliberately avoiding all combats activities with enemies.

ZH-736-1 Content: "The recent fightings are tiring me. I just want to pick fruits for a few days in the southern jungle. No fightings."

Note: the same record repeat for three times.

Record file: zh-736-1-102
Activity Overview: Link obtained one of the twelve memories of Princess Zelda in the Spring of Power.

ZH-736-1 content: "Today in the Spring of Power, the Goddess Hylia endowed me with Princess Zelda's memory one hundred years ago. I now can recall it. Her power could not be awakened a hundred years ago. She hates herself. / I was the source of her shadow a century ago, as I successfully retrieved the Master Sword, but she could never awaken her strength. She hates me. She should hate me…"

Note: The emotion expressed in the record is consistent with the feelings game plots tried to provoke. The order, content, and quantity of these memories seem to affect Link's integrity of view on the whole picture of events a in-game century ago.

Record file: zh-736-1-114
Activity Overview: Within 24 in-game hours, the researchers manipulated Link to destroy ten monster camps in a row.

ZH-736-1 Content: "Kill. Kill. Kill. Better weapons. More resources. Kill. Kill them all."

Note: record content will be influence by deliberately manipulated behaviors.

Record file: zh-736-1-153
Activity Overview: Researchers deliberately manipulate Link to make dozens of teleportations between different Sheikah Shrines and Towers.

ZH-736-1 content: "I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. I want to go here. [REPEATED CONTENTS] Where should I go, Goddess? Where should I go, Goddess? Where should I go, Goddess? Where should I go, Goddess? [REPEATED CONTENTS] Sheikah Slate is broken. Sheikah Slate is broken. Sheikah Slate is broken. Sheikah Slate is broken. [REPEATED CONTENTS] Help. Help. Help. Help. Help. Help. Help. Thank you Goddess. I vomit.”

Note:The message will change after every 20 teleportations. The character seems to be aware of excessive teleportations and try to rationalize the anomaly. It is worth noting that there is no picture of Link vomiting in the game, but the text "I vomited" is displayed at the end of the message. This implies that the screen images and the narrative reality is likely to be inconsistent under unknown mechanisms.

Record file: zh-736-1-167
Activity Overview:Researchers deliberately cause Link to die repeatedly in a Sheikah Shrine, thhen re-teleport the character to the entrance of the temple after 24 in-game hours, then open the SCP-ZH-736-1.

ZH-736-1 Content: "This place creeps me. I should have been here only once, why does the place give me so much uneasiness?"

Note: The presence of memory imprinting phenomenon is almost confirmed.

Record file: zh-736-1-185
Activity Overview: Researchers lead Link to Satori Mountain when the four-legged animal character "Lord of the Mountain" appeared in the game, and successfully tamed the animal character. The researchers then controlled the complex to go to the nearest stable and tried to register the animal with the stable owner (in general files, such a situation is impossible to complete. The stable owner will respond "Isn't this the notorious Lord of the Mountain? You will bring misfortune to all of us!" and refused to register the creature). In SCP-ZH-736, the animal character can be registered, but the name of the Lord of the Mountain will show "DMRG" and cannot be changed.

ZH-736-1 content: "Today I successfully tamed the beast known as "Lord of the Mountain" and took him to the Outskirt Stable. / The stable owner told me that it would bring misfortune to everyone, but he generously let me register this creature. / This creature told me that its name is DMRG3 I decided to listen to it."

Note: the experiment is highly noticed by the Dept. of Metaphysics [REDACTED]

Record file: zh-736-1-206
Activity Overview: Researchers asked Link to come to an island in Hylia River and accepted "Watch Out for the Flowers" Trial. In this trial, the temple that Link wants to reach is located in the center of a flowerbed. A woman called Magda will severely ask Link not to trample on the flowers she carefully cultivated. If Link violates the rules more than three times, Magda will fiercely attack Link and cause him to lose one heart of health points. The researchers deliberately triggered Magda's attack mechanism repeatedly, causing Link to be in the state of endangered health, then left the place.

ZH-736-1 content: "It took me a whole day to attempt to arrive at the temple on the island. This village woman asked me harshly not to step on her flower bed; once I stepped on it, I need to start all over again. / I am angry, so I have been deliberately running into the flower garden, trying to test her patience. / I didn't expect this village girl to be so fierce, she attacked me frantically and [DATA EXPUNGED] / I didn't understand why I was so bad and stepped repeatedly Flowerbed and angered her / *Page was torn*4 / I’m tired, Goddess Hylia. Please let me reach the center of the temple peacefully. / I quit."

Note: It is the first time to observe that the content of diary is / can be touched and affected by other in-game characters.

Record file: zh-736-1-254
Activity Overview: Researchers instruct Link to accomplish a Guardian (a type of large autonomous ancient robot in the game, with laser function and spider-like movement ability) hunting activities for two in-game days. Died five times in the process.
ZH-736-1 content: "Goddess Hylia calls me in her heart to go and destroy all the Guardians outside the Hyrule Castle. They are terrible ancient weapons that once destroyed our homeland. / It took me two whole days to complete this mission. Although they will surely be reborn after the Blood Moon, I feel extremely honored for completing Goddess’ task. / Sometimes I feel that certain memories are guiding me. Don't do this. Be careful of the enemy over there. It's as if I have experienced the feeling of being burned to death by their lasers. Are these the return of my painful memories a hundred years ago?"

Record file: zh-736-1-298
Activity Overview: The researcher instructed Link to accomplish the last one of three "Lomei Labyrinth" Trials set in the game. These mazes are huge artificial buildings engraved on the game map and embedded in the landscape. Link can see the unnatural pattern of these structures on the map displayed on Sheikah Slate.

ZH-736-1 content: "I finally completed the last trial of the Lomei Labyrinths on the map. A large number of Guardians almost killed me. / However, completing the mission and cracking the rumors make me feel glorious and proud. / These labyrinths impressed me so much. Did the ancient Sheikah mentors really create these great buildings with their own power?"

Record file: zh-736-1- 359
Activity Overview: Researchers direct Link to arrive at the four border corners of the Hyrule map and try to cross the border of the game. In general files, the edges of the playable area is shown to be visible outer plateaus, wide deserts and infinite ocean. However, when the player controls Link to head to the border, Link will encounter an invisible barrier in the screen and cannot continue to move forward. The system will also remind the player with an on-screen message "You can't go any further."

ZH-736-1 content: "I suddenly want to explore the worlds beyond Hyrule. I know that Princess has not been saved yet, but what is it out there? Can Sheikah Slate provide the information out there? / The result makes me wonder more. When I tried to swim forward, I found that my feet become disobedient, and I couldn’t swim further. / When I tried to climb over Mount Agat, my legs feel numb. / When I tried flying over the deep northern gulf beyond Akkala, a strong wind blew me back. / When I tried to reach further in the Gerudo Desert, the sand seals refuse to head further. / What does the outside word looks like? Does the Goddess intend to keep me in Hyrule? / I decided to complete my destiny of a royal guard and Champion first. There will be more time for me to explore after these duties are accomplished."

Note: The experiments suggest that the on-screen notices (such as" You can't go any further" or "You can't have more melee weapons" etc.) can only be read by the player, while Link himself cannot perceive these messages. The activities in the experiment might retro-provoke Link's temporary curiosity. The plan of modifying the system code to let Link fully explore the outer settings has been approved.

Record file: zh-736-1-361
Activity Overview: Researchers modified the settings of SCP-ZH-736 so that Link can leave the game's restricted geographic range, being able to fully explore the settings beyond the playable area. In the general file, the Nintendo developers placed coarse ground color and landscape silhouettes in these outer settings, the resolution of which is significantly worsened compared with the playable area. The silhouettes of certain gigantic artificial landscapes (such as the three Lomei Labyrinths in Experiment ZH-736-211, 269, and 298) also appear in these outer settings. These patterns are so specific that Link can recognize at a glance.

After the modification is completed, the researchers instruct Link to cross the map boundary and observe the landscape of outer settings with paraglider. The researchers make sure that Link can clearly observe the silhouettes of specific landscapes within the range of playable areas, then manipulated him to fly to the extreme distance.

ZH-736-1 content: "Goddess Hylia…Why… / The shattered patterns and broken shadows. What have I seen? Is my world a hoax? / Oh, Goddess does not exist. She created the beautiful Hyrule but imprisoned us in the shell of void and mirages. /Goddess does not exist.5"
Note: The distant sky above the horizons present to be dark red6 when Link approaches the northwest ocean beyond the fake continent. This setting doesn't show up in normal game files. All manipulations cannot make Link move on and go further.

Record file: zh-736-1-362
Activity Overview: Researchers tried to manipulate Link to go to Hyrule Castle and attempt to resolve the main quest of game. Researchers found that Link's fluency of movements and speed of responses become lagged. Some of Link's intrinsic combat functions such as "Flurry Rush" and "Bullet Time" are completely disabled. Link's stamina consumption rate is significantly faster than usual. The character becomes unable to complete all kinds of high-intensity physical activities.

ZH-736-1 content: "Meaningless. / I should go to save Princess Zelda. / Why should I?"

Note: All attempts to reload the previous files and kill Link deliberately in order to erase his memories are invalid. The modified code used in Expermient ZH-736-361 cannot be debugged or reversed. The effect caused by the experiment is considered irreversible.

Record file: zh-736-1-365
Activity Overview: Researchers tried to manipulate Link, but all the functions of manipulating characters are disabled. The only remained function is to switch the player's viewing angle on the surrounding environment. Link sits in a posture that is not normally present in normal game files with his dead lowering. The researchers soon discovered that Link's face was missing. In the preview image of the backpack system, Link's whole person preview image also disappeared.

ZH-736-1 content: No content.

Note: In this save, it can be observed that the dark red tones of the sky is disseminating slowly, while the dissemination range is still outside the bounds of Hyrule area. The direction is same with the farthest exploration direction in Experiment ZH-736-361.

Record file: zh-736-1-366
Activity Overview: Researchers reopened the game file and found that Link was not sitting in the original position. The surrounding environment all fell into deep dark red. The screen does not show any function images or screen datas of the Sheikah Slate. The backpack system cannot be activated. Except for 360-degree rotation and vertical controls of the point of view, the viewing spot cannot be moved. When the angle of view turns to the small river behind, Link's corpse can be seen lying down in a small river with his head removed for unknown reasons. No trace of Link's head can be seen from this angle of view.

ZH-736-1 Content: N/A

Note: This experiment was quickly terminated under the instruction of the HMCL-ZH. This is the last experiment record of the game file. All subsequent experiments on SCP-ZH-736 must be approved by HMCL-ZH and the Department of Patametaphysics. All current experimental projects have been suspended indefinitely.

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