Structure intended to be converted into an SCP-320-FR-1 instance.
Item #: SCP-320-FR
Threat Level: Yellow ●
Object Class: Keter
Special Containement Procedures: If an instance of SCP-320-FR-1 is discovered by civilians, involved individuals must receive class B amnestics and all structures resembling a pillow fort in a 150m radius around the location of the incident must be ceased by the Foundation. Any disappearance of children is to be presented as a kidnap to the public, and online testimonies and recordings must be removed if possible and decredibilized otherwise.
As building pillow forts is a common activity among children, SCP-320-FR cannot currently be contained. However, the conditions required for its appearance are very specific and most incidents can be avoided by monitoring events and festivals where large pillow structures are constructed.
Description: SCP-320-FR is a phenomenon affecting all constructions that meet the following criteria:
- The structure must consist only of pillows, cushions, mattresses and blankets, and mimic the appearance of a medieval castle.
- It must have been built by children between 4 and 14 years old.
- It must feature one or more entrances, closed using a blanket, and the inside of the fort must not be visible from the outside.
SCP-320-FR will only manifest in constructions with a volume in excess of 10m³. If the structure is left untouched for twenty-seven (27) days, an access is created to a much larger tunnel, made of the same materials. From this point, the construction is designated SCP-320-FR-1. Tunnels of SCP-320-FR-1 instances consist in a sequence of rooms weakly lit by nightlights, and all converge to a shared origin (see exploration logs). These tunnels are undetectable from the outside of the structure and digging will not reveal them.
Occasionally, one or more men (referred to as instances of SCP-320-FR-2) will emerge from the structure shortly after it was constructed, wearing a helmet and armour made of pillows, and wielding a weapon, often a pool noodle. The men will attempt to capture children between 4 and 14 years old in sight, and if none are found or are out of reach, will quickly return to the inside of the structure. They will most of the time not interact with other entities, unless they appear threatening, in which case they will use their weapons. Near SCP-320-FR-1, such a weapon is sharp and hazardous. As the distance between the individual and the structure increases, it tends to behave non-anomalously. Instances of SCP-320-FR-2 are most of the time muscular, bearded men.
Addendum: Attempted capture of an SCP-320-FR-2 instance
On June 5th, 2017, Dr Vicat's team successfully captured an instance of SCP-320-FR-2; as it was being brought away from its origin SCP-320-FR-1 instance by agents, it started aging rapidly. The instance eventually died 50 meters away from the construction, before an interview could be conducted. The instance's weapon and armour, once they had been taken away from it, behaved in a normal manner. After the death of the instance, the corpse quickly decomposed. Further interview attempts were led near the structure, but none of the instances cooperated.
Why the instance aged so fast remains a mystery, but a better question is where it came from. Either these "knights" spawn in the tunnels and vanish once their business is done, or they live and keep the children somewhere in there. And the best way to find out will be to look for ourselves. - Dr Vicat
Photograph taken by Agent Quer inside SCP-320-FR-1 tunnels.
Addendum 2: Exploration log
On June 10th, 2017, an exploration team formed by Agents Marc Febvre, Guillaume Quer and Jean Lévy was sent inside of an SCP-320-FR-1 instance. Agent Febvre lead the expedition, while Agent Lévy was responsible for radio communication, and Agent Quer carried a camera.
The team progressed inside the tunnel for fifteen minutes. It intersected several other similar caves. The team eventually reached a cavity now regarded as the origin of SCP-320-FR. Below is a transcript of radio communications between the team and Dr Vicat at that moment.
<BEGIN TRANSCRIPT>
Ag. Lévy: Oh, Vicat, we're approaching a large cavity.
Dr Vicat: What do you see?
(Silence of ~10 seconds)
Ag. Quer: Oh my God.
Ag. Lévy: Wow.
Dr Vicat: Describe what you see!
Ag. Febvre: Guillaume, take pictures!
Ag. Lévy: Well, it's… I don't know where to start.
Ag. Febvre: It's a pillow fort.
Dr Vicat: Like those we have on the surface?
Ag. Febvre: No, an actual pillow fort. How big is it you think?
Ag. Lévy: It's bigger than the warehouse, that's for sure.
Ag. Quer: How is it holding up?
Ag. Quer: Hey, don't get too close to the edge, they would see you.
Dr Vicat: "They?" Who? SCP-320-FR-2 instances ?
Ag. Lévy: I believe, yes. There are dozens of people getting in and out of it by the drawbridge across this ditch filled with… I can't tell what it is from here.
Dr Vicat: But this castle, is it on the surface or…
Ag. Lévy: We can't see from here. I'm going to step forward so- (inaudible)
Dr Vicat: Lévy, do you hear me? Step back, the transmission went down!
Ag. Lévy: (inaudible) -to see.
Dr Vicat: Don't go any further! If these entities are hostile like those that come up to the surface, it would be unwishable to get yourselves discovered. Stop here, I have all the information I needed. We'll find a safer alternative for further explorations.
<END TRANSCRIPT>
While returning, the agents took a different path than when exploring, upon request by Dr Vicat. They emerged in a garden in ███████, South Korea, from a massive pillow fort. Agent Quer's camera contained no images of the castle. No other anomalies were reported.
Addendum 3: In order to approach the castle described during the first expedition (designated SCP-320-FR-3), exploration teams are now dressed in a way that mimics SCP-320-FR-2 armours. In this way, they can approach the structure without being noticed by inhabitants. This method has proven effective, and allowed for a precise topological and anomalogical evaluation of the area. Below are Dr Sirc's notes after several undercover explorations.
At the end of the tunnel, we reached an immense half-sphere with a diameter of about a kilometer. The tunnels are higher up compared to the ground, which makes the view on the castle even more impressive. The ground and walls are entirely made of pillows. Dozens of millions of colourful pillows. I'm not even sure we manufactured that many in all of history.
At the center of the cavern sits the castle, hundreds of meters broad, and high as a sky-scraper, shielded by a ten meter-wide moat filled with coloured plastic balls. Don't get fooled, those who fall in rarely get to live. The only safe way in is by the few mattresses that serve as drawbridges. The castle is made of stacked pillows, has many windows and arrowslits, and is decorated with bedsheets serving as banners and flags. Although the castle doesn't seem very resistant at first glance, the pillows it is made of are as hard as stone.
The inhabitants are knights, ladies, servants and shepherds, and many children, all dressed in blankets, pillows and jewelry made from coloured paper. They are way too numerous to all know each other. Their society follows a feudal system, with a nobility and commoners. Sometimes, two nights will duel to win a lady's love, which means they will engage in a merciless pillow fight where the weakest quickly surrenders.
This place is a bit like a dream: the most absurd feats are possible, it is the simplest tasks that become unrealistic. Knights mount wooden horses, that they can control like living ones. Shepherds use rounded scissors to shear their sheep. We tried to replicate those gestures, and they required intense training and a lot of focusing, without even working perfectly. Moreover, my team and I never got any of our electronic devices to work there.
I analysed a fair amount of isolated communities throughout my carrier, but I have to admit that watching this small lonely world go on is quite impressive. And we are far from having explored all of the secrets of this little universe. We learned a lot about them from their manuscripts, and supposedly, they have a king. When I see the knights and the soldiers, I wonder what he might look like.
During the following months, the Foundation successfully established peaceful relations with the inhabitants of SCP-320-FR-3. Several Foundation members were invited to "banquets", that were occasions to better understand the origin of the SCP-320-FR anomaly, to examin parts of the structure inaccessible before, and gather data on the king cited by Dr Sirc. Data is available below, depending on your clearance level.
Addendum 4:
Interviewer: Dr Sirc, during a banquet
Interviewee: Instance of SCP-320-FR-2 ("Sir Baptiste")
<BEGIN TRANSCRIPT>
SCP-320-FR-2: I am glad that you enjoy this celebration, good sir, although you seem to not like our cuisine.
Dr Sirc: Sorry about that. (N.B. The food is made of modelling clay) Your king shows great hospitality.
SCP-320-FR-2: Indeed, and you have the rare honor to enjoy it. Our hospitality for unwanted outsiders is the sword.
Dr Sirc: Yes, I saw that. Do you often face strangers, besides the children you "invite over"?
SCP-320-FR-2: Few make it to here. But outside, we sometimes have to confront aggressors who oppose our intentions.
Dr Sirc: I suppose you are commanded to do this by the King. Does he often attend this kind of event? I would be glad to meet the person who invited us to this dinner.
SCP-320-FR-2: Ah, one does not choose to see the King, only the King chooses who he sees. Those who have seen him in person, are rare.
Dr Sirc: What does he look like ?
SCP-320-FR-2: This is knowledge limited to the blessed who have met him. I suppose he more or less corresponds to the descriptions of the ancient manuscripts, although his appearance is often described as "surprising", ha ha.
Dr Sirc: Do you think I will one day meet the King ?
SCP-320-FR-2: You have great ambitions dear sir, but consider that for a stranger like you, it will not be child's play. For now, you should attempt more plausible feats. For instance, eating your dish, it is cooling.
Dr Sirc: Yes… I'll work on that.
<END TRANSCRIPT>
(Click to enlarge) Pages 15-16
(Click to enlarge) Pages 17-18
Modern English transcript
Once upon a time, there was a land circled by moutains, led by a fearless and good king followed by four sons worthy of his courage and bravery, save for the youngest boy, who was so fearful, an insect could have defeated him. Again and again, the three brave sons served the kingdom, and the fourth heir watched in despair.
There came a day when a child was stuck under the trunk of a fallen tree. The three first sons each hit the tree once with an axe and sent the child back to freedom. The last boy wanted to help too, and although the trunk was already sliced, the heir clumsily swinged a last time the axe at the old oak. But the iron flew off of the handle, and in its unstoppable wander, hit one of the brave sons in the head. Once again, the three brave sons had served the kingdom, and the fourth heir watched in despair.
There came a day when a fire got hold of an inhabited house. The two first sons, fearless and generous, rushed inside the still burning home to remove the family exposed to the deadly heat. In an instant, they were all safe and sound and thanked the saviors. The last brother, defying his fear, rushed inside the hot house to try to save anyone. But the child, hardly prepared for this, fainted as soon as he breathed the fumes. His brave sibling eventually extracted him from the fire, and this feat cost him his life. Once again, the two brave sons had served the kingdom, and the third heir watched in despair.
There came a day when the Queen fell into a deep well. Clever, the first heir tossed a rope to the lady and pulled with all his strength, and in little time, the Queen was safe and sound. The second brother wanted to help, too. He attempted to throw a rope inside the well but, skinny and weak, he was dragged by the weighty rope and fell himself inside. The child was too weak to hold on to the rope; his brother had to climb down into the well to rescue him. But he swang against the wall and broke his ribs. His last, generous action was to fermly tie the child to the rope, now waiting for a certain death. Once again, the brave son had served the kingdom, and the second heir watched in despair.
There came a day when foreign, cruel, and bloodthirsty warriors besieged the land. Without the King's brave sons to lead it, the kingdom's army was defenseless against the enemy. In a week, the warriors had burned the village down to ash, and the locals to dust. Solely the King's last son survived, hidden inside the castle as he was too fearful to witness the war. After the departure of the warriors, the child glared at what had once been his land. With the same desire to serve his kingdom, the boy decided to help once and for all.
The child locked himself inside a room where he built a pillow castle that he never left. In his mind, he brought the kingdom back to life. He imagined every person, every house, the smallest detail, but without death, without weapons, without pain, as the King's son cannot picture war. Thanks to him, there was a place where the kingdom would stand. Because warriors can burn, steal, kill and ravage, but there is nothing stronger than what a child can imagine.
This tale, which circulates around our kingdom under various versions, brought fundamental questions. In spite of our abilities to think, act, and explore as we wish, we are actually all ghosts? It cannot be this simple. Outside, where thoughts are stoic and weapons break, there are men, like us. It is impossible that these thousands, if not millions of intelligent entities fit inside the imagination of a single child. And yet, we all live in the same world, do we not? Dear reader, accuse me of being cynical if you please, but here is my only advice for you.
Do not imagine anyone, because if you ever stop, they will die in an instant.
Interviewer: Dr Vicat
Interviewee: Agent Lévy
<BEGIN TRANSCRIPT>
Dr Vicat: This interview follows the incident that occured on 29/04/2018, in which you disobeyed the orders that were given to you. I will need you to explain what happened in detail, and to be as precise as possible. You may begin.
Ag. Lévy: Okay. It all started yesterday during the banquet the whole containment team was invited to. As was planned, I took a seat, and after having talked for a while, I excused myself and went to search the area. I was assigned the first corridor. At the end of the hallway, there was this door. Actually, the hallway was filled with doors, but this one stood out. I knew that it had been carved from a mattress, like the others, but strangely, I had the impression it was made of wood. And… I know I wasn't supposed to open doors, but I wanted to know.
Behind the door, a corridor. A long corridor. As my curiosity pulled me further into the unending hallway, I started to see the pillow floor cover itself in wooden slabs, and the cotton walls turn into stone. At this point, I had gone too far to go back.
Then I reached the door. I entered the room. And, sitting on the throne, wearing his crown, he was here. The one we were told about so many times but hadn't ever seen.
Dr Vicat: What did he look like?
Ag. Lévy: It was a child. Just like I was expecting after all of this. I looked at him, and he looked at me. Usually, I would panick in this kind of situation, but there is this impression of dreaming when you're down there that took my fear away. To be blunt, I was simply fascinated.
Dr Vicat: Did you speak to him?
Ag. Lévy: Yes! We even talked for quite a while. I'm gonna try to sum it all up, even though the memories you keep from there are more or less blurry. I asked him if he was the King. He told me that yes.
I asked him why he kidnaps children. He told me that they are his playmates, and that they bring new toys.
I asked him why he is still a child after all this time. He didn't seem to understand the question. You know, kids have only a basic understanding of aging.
I asked where his father, the King, is. He told me his father made him King in reward for his actions, and now lives inside the castle with other knights.
I asked him if he had imagined the humans outside the castle. He told me no, that some had arrived in his mind one day and that he often sees them in the castle since then. He told me he has no idea how we're able to enter his imagination.
I told him that the children he kidnaps don't want to play with him. That he forces them to stay there, and that they're not happy. As you can imagine, it wasn't a smart thing to say. He got agitated and told me that all children want to play with him. Then he told me he didn't want to play with me anymore. He pointed his hand towards me, and extended two fingers to make a gun.
Dr Vicat: And he fired.
Ag. Lévy: And that's the last thing I remember. It's a bit illogical though. According to the tale, he hates violence.
Dr Vicat: Well, you didn't have any blood on you when we recovered you. He killed you "clean", just like in any children's game. By the way, without any visible wound, saving you would have been impossible without SCP-███. Anyway, we now know for sure the origin of the anomaly.
Ag. Lévy: It's crazy to think that we have met people who don't really exist. I kinda feel bad for them. Imagine - no pun intended - how destructive it must be to realise that you're not real.
Dr Vicat: I can only agree…
<END TRANSCRIPT>
