 Item number SCP-3288 Object Class Keter Special Containment Procedures An SCP-3288 population no less than 20, nor greater than 30 individuals is to be maintained at Humanoid Containment Site 282. Each SCP-3288 must be contained within individual containment units. Other studies that require 3288 to 3288 contact are to be conducted with the utmost caution. SCP-3288 are to be terminated where encountered, and disposed of for hazardous waste protocols. It is imperative that SCP-3288 infestations undergo thorough destruction or containment. As a single, uncontained instance of SCP-3288 has the potential to trigger an SK class dominant ship scenario, within the next century if not sooner. Description SCP-3288 designates a highly predatory species or subspecies of the genus Homo, Homo Anthropophagus. SCP-3288 display a number of abnormal characteristics and behaviors that distinguish them from the baseline species. The most common deviations include Acute Hyperdontia and Macrodontia. An instance of SCP-3288 has teeth approximately six times the size of normal adult teeth, with more than sixty teeth unevenly discriminated over six distinct rows, requiring jaws much larger than that of baseline humans. Gross Manular Prognetism Fluctuating Facial Asymmetry The lethal stillomelia of the arms, an instance of SCP-3288 commonly has arms more than twice the length of a baseline human of similar height. Arachnodactyly and Polydactyly Kyphosis Abnormal Muscle Strength despite having the appearance of severe emaciation Albinism Superior Low Light Vision and Heterochromia Aridium, specifically Complete Heterochromia. The eyes are notably reflective, and their colors range from blue, red, purple, and yellow. A reliance on both bipedal and quadrupedal local motion. Abnormally rapid physical growth and development. This results in a two- to three-week gestation period, with sexual maturity being reached within sixteen to twenty months. Gotchgal Gartner Syndrome, primarily manifesting on the hands and fingers. Malapesia Universalis Acute Photophobia Direct exposure to sunlight will result in both physical and psychological damage. Mental instability primarily characterized by the illusion of grandeur and malignant narcissism. An addiction to human flesh that takes on biological and psychological components. These abnormalities are primarily the result of excessive inbreeding, but without the increased chance for certain recessive or deleterious traits, especially those related to infertility, higher infant and child mortality, and loss of immune function. These detrimental traits have not only been negated, but inversely amplified, resulting in longer lifespan, increased resistance to disease, and anomalously high levels of fertility. The Foundation became aware of SCP-3288, while investigating reports of unexplained disappearances in Vienna. It was discovered that these incidents occurred in close proximity to sewer holes and access tunnels, and primarily targeted the most vulnerable of the population, such as prostitutes, unsupervised children, transients, and inebriated or otherwise undisposed individuals. Lucero Novak and Diana Fisher were dispatched to Vienna in order to determine whether or not a number of unexplained disappearances were of an anomalous nature. Interviewed with law enforcement and government officials revealed that human remains belonging to three individuals had been recovered, but that this information was not released to the public due to concerns of causing further panic. These remains were promptly confiscated and delivered to humanoid containment site 282 in Graz. Autopsies were performed by Dr. Felix Gartner, who noted that the remains, cadavers A, B, and C, displayed no injuries corresponding with a human attacker, and compared to the disease to victims of hyena attacks. Dr. Gartner concluded that all sustained injuries were caused by a mix of teeth, claws, and raw physical strength. Bite marks were found to coincide with human teeth despite their abnormal size, approximately six times the size of normal adult teeth, and number, more than sixty teeth unevenly discriminant over six distinct rows, requiring jaws much larger than that of baseline humans. Further analysis revealed unique patterns among the bite marks, suggesting that there existed more than one source. The entities responsible for these deaths were classified as anomalous and received the SCP-3288 designation. While tasks for Sigma-6, hell singers, were ordered to patrol the Leopoldstadt district while incognito, the district having seen the highest number of recorded disappearances. Operatives are instructed to target SCP-3288 with tracking darts and to refrain from lethal force. Field Log 01, October 6, 1988 12MTF Sigma-6 operatives patrolled the Leopoldstadt district in 1,800 hours, while 10 maintained watch positions with unrestricted views of known sewer holes and access tunnels. At 0021 hours, operatives Sigma-612 and Sigma-609 reported hearing a muffled scream near the Dono Canal, and sought to investigate the matter while requesting backup. Support arrived three minutes after the initial request, and found the mangled remains of both operatives, as well as the half-consumed body of a local civilian. The decapitated body of Sigma-612 was pulled from the Dono Canal, although the head was never located. His neck has sustained injuries, suggesting that it had been severed or destroyed by a single bite. A trail of blood and entrails led to Sigma-609, who had been torn in half along the waist. He had successfully crawled into an alleyway before succumbing to his injuries. The mission was deemed a success, despite the loss of life, as Sigma-609 successfully struck the SCP-32AA instance with a tracking dart, achieving the mission's primary objective. The entity had escaped into the sewers. Its movements tracked until the signal began to fade, before entirely disappearing somewhere below the Hofburg. Due to the progressively declining nature of the signal, it is believed that the device had been brought far deeper than even the V&E sewers should have accommodated. Field Log 02, October 7th, 1988 Constructed in the mid-19th century, the V&E sewers are part of a larger network of subterranean tunnels that include catacombs, abandoned wine cellars, and underground rivers. Mobile Task Force Sigma-6 operatives were divided into four teams of five, three teams to investigate the sewers, and one to remain on standby. By triangulating on the last known location of the tracked SCP-3288, the Foundation hoped to minimize the possibility of escape and public exposure. For this mission, while it is preferable to have operatives secure and contain a threat, lethal force may be used in their discretion. At 0900, the MTF Sigma-6 operatives reached their destination without incident, but initially failed to discover anything of significance. After several hours of investigation, Sigma-604 encountered human skeletal remains while wading through waste-deep water. After analysis of this area uncovered a number of loose bricks, whose removal revealed a unrecorded subterranean chamber, whose walls were engraved with the House of Habsburg's coat of arms. The chamber included 24 sarcophagi, and would presumably a family crypt belonging to the House of Habsburg, despite their existing no records of its creation. The statues primarily depict women wearing bales over their eyes, with a single finger held to their lips. The tombs, though intricate and reflective of their status, lacked any indication as to who may have been interred with them. Prying open to sarcophagi revealed a skeletal remains of over 300 infants, all displaying severe and likely fatal deformities. The original entrance had been evidently destroyed, the stairs shattered and buried in soil. At the far end of the crypt with a vault door composed of bronze with no apparent means of access, and seemingly impenetrable without proper equipment. The door displayed the House of Habsburg's coat of arms, and was engraved with the words ad piratatum sanguinus, English, for purity of blood. Mobile tasks for Sigma-6 operatives were ordered to hold their current location, and await the arrival of the infiltration team. Foundation agents organized a temporary evacuation of the Hofburg, and the sealing of all sewer access points throughout the city. Field Log 03, October 8th, 1988 MTF Sigma-6 maintained shifts throughout the night, making repeated attempts to open the vault door. At 1200 hours, the service had been fully evacuated, and an infiltration team had arrived at MTF Sigma-6's position. The bronze gate was carved apart via oxy-fuel cutting torches, over an approximately two hour period, bypassing intricate mechanisms, likely related to its conventional means of access, and revealing a spiral staircase. An eight-person squad, each operative equipped with an M16 rifle with attached flashlight, heavy tactical armor, and helmet-mounted live audio-video recording devices, descended the staircase. Descended the staircase, with radio transmission growing increasingly faint, as the operatives traveled an estimated 65 meters on the ground. Red ground flares, Boosie, were periodically lit and discarded, providing a clear path of return. Operatives reached the bottom of the stairwell, where the gray stone halls of the crypt were replaced by masterfully crafted marble floors, carpets, and white painted walls and ceilings. The large chamber was found to be architecturally identical to the Swiss wing of Hofburg Palace, closely resembling 18th-century depictions and reflecting the late Baroque, early Rococo artistic style popular during the era. The location, since classified as SCP-3288-1A, contained various sculptures and Corinthian columns, while paintings and tattered tapestries adorned its walls. All depictions of the human form had been literally defaced, regardless of artistic medium. Operatives described the air as having an odor not dissimilar to rotten meat and stale sweat. The floor and walls were discolored, with what appeared to be blood. Most of the stains appeared to be exceptionally old. Traveling through a southeast corridor, operatives entered what appeared to be SCP-3288-1's equivalent of the Hofburg Imperial Library. Unnotable difference between this section of SCP-3288-1 and Hofburg Palace is the presence of a working 18th-century laboratory. Sigma-607, the only member of the acting squad to be fluent in both German and Latin, discovered documents involving alchemy, biology, and the occult. A decorative writing desk and accompanying throne were located at the far end of the chamber. The desk contained documents relating to transactions, contracts, and private journals. These documents, along with those relating to the occult sciences, were gathered and delivered to Field Command. See the SCP-3288-1 recovered documents subsection for further details. Operatives reached the ballroom and opera hall. Describing the air is especially fetid. The aroma of perfume was also noted, though its presence did little to disguise the smell of decay. The area contained a number of instruments, standing harp, harpsichord, violins, etc., all of which displayed evidence of recent use. There were several refractory tables located through the chamber. The ballroom evidently used the dining hall as well. Atop the table were human remains and various levels of decomposition and culinary presentation. A bell had replete begin to toll and was followed by the automatic music of a nearby pipe organ. The discordant song played for approximately three minutes. When the pipe organ ceased its playing, it was followed by the sound of opening doors and an increasing number of shuffling footsteps. Operatives were ordered to find a hidden and defensible position and to deactivate their flashlights. Seven successfully hid behind the curtains of the opera hall, but Sigma-618 fell behind, having tripped over a pile of bones and forced to take cover behind a harp'sichord. Sigma-601 was able to observe the entire ballroom without obstruction from the far corner of the stage curtain. The ballroom's wide gates opened as the video revealed a dim light of lantern swaying in the hands of their shambling carriers. Closer analysis would show that these figures, SCP-3288, were dressed in the garb of 18th century courtiers. They are followed by others, wearing increasingly extravagant F-ragged attire. All outfits appear to contain certain shades of red, deeply contrasting with their chalk white skin, porcelain mask or raid mask, and powdered wigs. A pair of diminutive SCP-3288 entered, lagging behind the others. One blew a rusty trumpet, while the other acted as standard bearer, holding a crudely painted ensign, depicting a red lion on a black field. The trumpeter appeared to make an announcement, the words unintelligible due to the guttural nature of their speech. The trumpeter and standard bearer quickly moved aside, their stunted legs causing them to tumble and roll as they fled. There are now appeared to be several hundred SCP-3288 throughout the ballroom. SCP-6-01 activated a silent distress call, requesting heavy support. All SCP-3288 proceeded to kneel and lowered their heads. An exceptionally corpulent instance of SCP-328 entered a room, carried by other SCP-3288 via an enlarged and reinforced sedan chair. The morbidly obese individual, classified as SCP-3288-alpha, was dressed in a patchwork of noble finery, stitched together from various fabrics to create a single outfit capable of fitting its frame. It wore a crown that had come to more closely resemble a torture device, too small for its head, but held in place by an overgrowth of flesh. In lieu of a masquerade mask, it hid its face beneath a red shroud. A large iron cauldron was delivered to SCP-3288-alpha's table, the container appearing to vibrate of its own accord. A dwarf SCP-3288 climbed a top SCP-3288-alpha's shoulders, preceding the lift as red veil while leaving its eyes covered. A second diminutive specimen removed the cauldron's cover. SCP-3288-alpha sniffed the air, then proceeded to lift the cauldron and pour its content down its anomalously large mouth and gullet. Part of its meal wiggled free, revealing that the cauldron contained living infants displaying severe deformities. The other SCP-3288 raised her mask and began to feast with voracious enthusiasm. An exceptionally tall specimen approached the harpsichord and snatched Sigma-618 from behind it. It lifted him by its head but made no effort to alarm its fellow SCP-3288. Instead, the entity unhinged its jaw and quickly forced the operative down its throat feet first. The screams unheard among the sounds of feasting and discordant music. The gathering became orgiastic as the SCP-3288 turned to fortification and violence, making no distinction between the apparent age or sex of the participant, willing or otherwise. An explosion rocked the event, causing mass casualties among the SCP-3288. It is hypothesized that Sigma-618 survived its ordeal and was able to, likely after some struggle and consideration, activate an explosion device, sacrificing himself in order to terminate or otherwise incapacitate a great number of hostile entities. Pan expressed among the remaining SCP-3288, MTF Sigma-6 would exploit its opportunity and employed three methylphenidol to render the SCP-3288 unconscious. With the arrival of reinforcements, the survivors were secured and contained at humanoid containment Site-282. The sheer size of SCP-3288-Alpha necessitated the use of a specialized crane and the creation of a shaft directly connecting SCP-3288-1 to the surface. Following the removal of SCP-3288-Alpha, as well as all relevant documents and objects, SCP-3288-1 was filled with cement and reburied. SCP-3288-Alpha Interview Log, October 10, 1988 Interviewed SCP-3288-Alpha Interviewer Dr. Tobias Moser Forward, despite its corpulent morbidity, 1632 kg, and lack of mobility, its atrophied legs entirely vestigial. Subject is considered dangerous, and is to be approached with the utmost caution. Subject is blind and incapable of reading or writing. The interior of its hollowed sockets pushed outward to the point of prolapse. Subject is fluent in Austrian-German, preferring to speak the Schoenbruner Dusche. Associate elect spoken by the Imperial Hatchburg family in the nobility of Austria-Hungary. Subject had been stripped nude, bound and muzzled, and equipped with electrodes in order to prevent hostilities and ensure cooperation. Begin Log Hello, please begin by telling me your name. Your cooperation is not optional. The meat wishes to speak. It speaks what not spoken to. Meat. Must the meat taunt us. The aroma is... intoxicating. As I said, your cooperation is not optional. Impossible. How does the meat hurt? How does meat disobey? You will answer me. Is this how you wish to play? We do not submit. We dominate. We will rape you until your intro spill. We will devour you at your peasant kin. Do you believe your witchcraft can harm us? Our blood is pure. Our blood is resilient. Sir, would you be so kind as to illuminate the subject? My vision doesn't work so well in these dim cells. Party officer complies, flashing approximately 32,000 lumens at the subject. No, no, no, we yield the buyer. Our soul skitters from the flame. That's enough. Yes, I noticed light sensitivity during your transfer. Extreme photophobia, even without eyes. I'll be sure to make a note of that. Now tell me. What is your name? The Imperial Majesty, Emperor Maximilian the Great, King of Austria and Patriarch of the House of Habsburg. We have not entertained outsiders in so long. Excuse my uncothed ways. You are clearly a superior creature and have asserted yourself. We are at your mercy. Does our guest wish to feast upon our flesh? To rape the bestowing wound? Good God, though. How would you even… No, that won't be necessary. I see that our customs differ quite significantly. Might I ask, were you blind from birth or did you lose your vision accidentally? Ah, but the pleasantries have yet to reach completion, and you now have a set of disadvantage. What is your name, outsider? You are fluent in German, but your accent is distant and strange. I am, uh, King Tobias Moser of the Foundation. A king? Yes, yes, of course. It all makes sense now. We sense nobility. A duke we mused. Can't you believe that? A duke! But certainly you have proven yourself far stronger than a simple duke. We've heard of this Foundation. A marvelous land and people, well-known for its many cheeses and wines. As for our eyes, our royal, true-seeing eyes, hmmm… Alas, we were hosting a banquet in our eyes, it seems. We're too big for our stomach. Have you heard that one? Oh, the mirth. But yes, you see, the meal. The meal was too big. They warned us, of course. Oh, His Imperial Majesty, let us cut this meat for you. But no, we are king. We are emperor. We want to swallow it whole. We will devour everything. And well, you see, our eyes, our eyes burst forth from their sockets. Not enough room. Hehehehe. They served us little and the dangling orbs. Yes. Yes, of course. They plummeted down a royal gullet. Unforever. Unmissed. I see. Well, that was quite a story. Tell me of your court and the house of Habsburg. We are of the same noble blood, but some are more noble than others. Our bloodline is pure, untainted by outsiders. I must ask this, but why eat human? We do not eat human. We eat peasants. We eat undesirables. We devour life undeserving of life. That is the nature of nobility. What else would be the point? Understood. I must take my leave. We will speak again soon. Yes. We will think of you, King Moser, in your absence over and over. We are eager to sshhh sample your flavor. So delightful. So delicious. End log. Afterward, we may be eager to glean more information by playing to his delusions, but it is difficult to say how much of it is true. However, DNA analysis has revealed that SCP-32-AA-Alpha does in fact descend from the house of Habsburg, and this so far appears to be true for all SCP-32-AA. A number of significant documents were recovered from SCP-32-AA-1, allowing the Foundation to develop a better understanding of SCP-32-AA. The following excerpts have been translated from their original German, and are arranged in chronological order. Footnotes have been provided in order to frame these documents within their historical and cultural context. Report from the Journal of Leopold I Leopold I Leopold I Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician June 9th, 1640 to May 5th, 1705 was the Holy Roman Emperor, as well as the King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Generally regarded as intellectual, he was known for his interest in astronomy, alchemy, and the early sciences. 10th of November, 1700 And with the death of Charles, so dies our noble lion in Iberia, I will restore our rifle place. My claim is valid and will not be denied. I already hear the intoxicating drums of war. But his disease, his curse, concerns me greatly. Despite the purity of our blood, untainted for generations, Charles was a sickly creature with the mind of a child. I, too, was a sickly youth. But my mind remains sharp. I must make use of this blessing before my dynasty succumbs to madness and cretinism. 4th of August, 1701 The Jesuits have exhausted their usefulness. Against my better judgment, I have chosen to seek out those with knowledge of the so-called Abominable Sciences, scholars of the forbidden mysteries, both great and terrible. And I have found someone who knows the dark, a woman of rare, almost beguiling beauty. She is older than she appears, where she speaks with the experience of a hundred lifetimes on subjects I had only just begun to grasp. She is a creature of the wild, a living embodiment of all that is pagan. I am a stranger in her world, and I am afraid. 22nd of October, 1701 She says she will teach me, but for a price she will name upon the completion of her tutelage. A strange request, but all she presently asks is that I uphold my end of the bargain. I have more power and wealth than any man alive, payment will not be difficult. I will not allow our venerable house to fall, but my laboratory is ill-suited for such a task. I have hired workers to begin construction on a new site, something away from the prying eyes of sycophantic courtiers. 19th of December, 1701 My tutelage, though difficult, progresses well. A universal essence, the way of all flesh. It all begins to make sense. My eyes are now open, and I see with such clarity. I will cleanse my family of this curse. The essence is malleable, subject to change. But one piece moves the other, you see, resulting in an often unpredictable transmutation. My current experiments make use of the simplest of God's creations, rodents and insects primarily. I have formed living things, creatures whose very visage was sundered even the most resolute of minds. 8th of February, 1702 After the new laboratory goes well, I predict its completion within the next three months. Equipment has been delivered from Damascus. If there is one thing those Mohammedans know, it is the occult sciences. More often than not, my teacher leads me to my own devices. She appears only at night, though I cannot say from where. She comes and goes as she pleases. My servant, seemingly unaware of her presence. 27th of March, 1702 The new laboratory was finished ahead of schedule. The workers merely need to install my equipment, and I can take my experiments to the next tier. But fresh materials are required, and pests will no longer suffice. I am not yet willing to experiment on my own blood, but perhaps there is another way. The workers promise secrecy, but in my dreams I see betrayal. I have come too far to allow such interference. If the Church learns of this, it could ruin everything. These dreams are an omen, and I know they will consume me unless I take swift action. I know what must be done. 15th of April, 1702 My teacher is less understanding than I had expected, for even her hurt and heart does not dissuade the disgust and contempt with what she now looks upon me. I did what I had to, for my family, for the purity of our blood, for the immortality of our chosen line. How could this witch understand my burden? She vows to return tomorrow for her payment. I would just have this over with. I am still a man of my word. 16th of April, 1702 I watched her burn. Her sorcery slew many of my guardsmen, but in the end she was detained and delivered to the Church. The zealots, having heard my testimony, proved just as eager to see that wretched bitch be consigned to the flames. I know such methods have fallen out of fashion, thus we committed the act under the cover of darkness and secrecy. I would have granted her land, or made her rich as crasses, but no, that wicked creature sought to be clever. She said I could never save my family without her aid, and demanded, demanded, that I end my rule, destroy all titles and deeds, delivering my land and wealth to the common folk. That she really believed I would plunge my kingdoms, my empire, into anarchy. Truly she was mad, but now nothing remains but ash and cinder. And I may return to my great work, no longer bound by her ethical inflexibility. There is so very much to be done. Later entries by Leopold I are increasingly frenzied and illegible, suggesting a deteriorating mental state until his death in 1705. It appears that he eventually had success, resulting in the creation of SCP-3288, albeit with unintended consequences, via the introduction of an anomalous gene into the family bloodline. This gene allows human DNA to resist certain deleterious conditions associated with inbreeding. The House of Hatsburg continued in its practice of inbreeding, accelerating the development of mutations. Those with significant deformities were hidden from the public. The Hatsburg Monarchs eventually created vast bulge to house them. The vault-dwelling Hatsburgs continued to breed, eventually developing mutations, which vastly increased their rate of reproduction. In turn, increasing the chances of entirely new mutations. Those who more closely resembled baseline humans remained on the surface, while those sent below continued to adapt to subterranean life. DNA analysis have revealed that contanguinity grew increasingly more extreme over the years. Further indicating that incest between parent and child or brother and sister had become the norm among SCP-3288 by the 19th century. It appeared that the Hatsburg Monarchs went to great lengths to provide their vault-dwelling kin with a lifestyle just as extravagant as those above. Documents revealed a steady delivery of food, wine and entertainment. Over time these requests become more eccentric and strange. It eventually depraved. All evidence suggests that these requests were met. It is unknown how long SCP-3288 has survived without outside assistance. One document appears to imply that the Great Plague of 1738 led to the delivery of significant amount of feed. One document of singular importance contains a list of vaults similar to SCP-3288-1. The Foundation has used this information to locate and neutralize SCP-3288 hives, but the document itself has been the cause of concern. Half of it is eligible due to mold-related damage. This means that at least half of these vaults cannot be located, and will continue to be a significant threat to the public. Addendum September 23, 2016 There are a growing number of reports describing violent sexual assaults and acts of cannibalism throughout Central Europe. Closer announcements of these attacks have led the Foundation to conclude that SCP-3288 are responsible for the violence. Due to the widespread nature of these incidents, it is feared that multiple undiscovered SCP-3288 vaults have been breached. An instance of SCP-3288 was recently captured at the Black Forest in Germany. Tracked to a derelict hunting lodge by MTF Sigma-6, the entity was successfully secured and contained with operative suffering only minor casualties. Nine bound women were discovered in the basement. Only one was still alive, and the cadavers displayed ruptured lower abdomens and evidence of partial cannibalization. The survivor was dirty, malnourished, and her lower abdomen was heavily swollen and visibly throbbing. The woman screamed to the operatives, pleading that they, quote, get these things out of her, unquote, along with various equitibs and religious invocations. She received medical evacuation via helicopter, but crashed approximately five minutes into its flight. Four fetuses were discovered among the wreckage, though heavily charred, all-displayed mutations associated with SCP-3288. The recently captured instance of SCP-3288 was interrogated. SCP-3288-6971 Interview Log, September 24, 2016 Interviewed SCP-3288-6971 However, Dr. Elizabeth Varga, forward, subject is restrained and muzzled and itself is equipped for enhanced interrogation. Due to the severity of the circumstances, personnel are encouraged to use all possible means of information extraction. Interview conducted in German, begin log. Are there other victims? Where are they located? We don't have time for this. Use the light. The officer complies, flashing approximately 32,000 lumens to subject. You wretched whore, I will pluck out your eyes and- Put the screws to it. Tell us everything. I yield, I yield, pardon me. Tell me what you know. You wish to know about the vessels. I am but a duke, the Empress. You want the Empress? Tell me about these vessels now. We are merely claiming what is ours, but a divine right of kings. The women you raped? The Empress, she said it was time. For a thousand years, our blood has been pure, untouched by the taint of outsiders. Why change? Why now? Our blood, it is strong now. The strong, it overwhelms the blood of the wretched and mudbound. Our line will never die. It will never fade. We will rape every last one of you. Our bloodline will never die. No, no, no, no, no. It will become everything. It is our gift, our blessing. What do you mean? The meek will be get the strong, the doomed will be get the chosen. Don't you see, the greedy will devour the charitable. The merciless will ravage the peaceful, and the fornicators will rake the chaste. We will make the world as perfect as us. We will all be aristocrats in the end, and our dynasty will never die. End log.