 Item Number – SCP-286 Object Class – Euclid Special Containment Procedures – SCP-286 is to be kept in a secure containment cell at Site-19 that allows an open, secure perimeter of at least 50 meter radius around SCP-286. Only D-Class personnel are permitted to have direct physical contact with SCP-286, and only as part of an approved experiment. Update – O719-2000 experiments with SCP-286 are hereby suspended, until further notice. O5… Surveillance cameras are to be positioned to allow 360-degree monitoring of SCP-286 during experimentation. Recordings shall be maintained and cataloged of all Sigma states exhibited by SCP-286. Update – O311-2000 as of incident I-2865. Surveillance of SCP-286 is to be continuous, and any initiation of a Sigma state is to be immediately reported to Overwatch Command. Outside the immediate project directorate, the SCP-286 Sigma state archives and associated material are to be restricted to Level 4 access. Under no circumstances are identified instances of SCP-286-1 or SCP-286-2 to be prevented from having contact with SCP-286. O5… Description – SCP-286 is a carved stone game board measuring 83 centimeters on a side. It bears markings consistent with the Chinese game of Liu Bo. Based on artifacts found with SCP-286 during recovery, SCP-286 has been dated to at least the Shang Dynasty, though all attempts to date the carvings directly have been inconclusive. Analysis of SCP-286's composition has shown high concentrations of iron and nickel, and crystalline microstructures consistent with- If any higher order mammal touches SCP-286, it will initiate a Sigma state. A Sigma state is indicated by the appearance of 12 tokens on the surface of the game board. The tokens appear to be constructed of the same material as SCP-286. Six tokens are dark, absorbing 75% more ambient light than the board's surface, while six tokens are light, emitting 75% more ambient light than that which actually strikes them. Apparing with the tokens on the game surface are two 18-sided dice, apparently made of bronze. As with the game tokens, a direct physical examination of the dice has proved to be impossible. The dice share the anomalous reflective and absorption properties shown by the game tokens, one light and one dark. Otherwise, the dice appear consistent with dice found in non-anomalous lubo sets recovered from various Chinese archaeological sites. A Sigma state will also manifest SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2 to play a game. SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2 are higher order mammals who have suffered temporary alterations in patterns of movement, cognition, behavior, and vocalization. SCP-286-1 will appear agitated, movements will become jerky and imprecise, vocalizations will be quick, stuttering, and aggressive. SCP-286-2 will appear sluggish, movements halting and slow, vocalizations will be low-pitched, throaty, and tend to be monosyllabic. Subjects capable of human speech will converse, but only to their opposite number during a Sigma event. Such conversations, or monologues in the case of a subject facing a non-human opponent, are conducted in a random sequence of human languages, sometimes shifting multiple times within a single statement. Only 45% of the recorded conversations between SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2 have been successfully translated to date. The subject who initiated the Sigma state will become an instance of SCP-286-1 if they touched SCP-286 on an illuminated surface, or they will become an instance of SCP-286-2 if they touched SCP-286 on a surface that is in shadow. In either case, the subject will take a seated position to one side of the board. Instances of SCP-286-1 will take a position on the side nearest the light game tokens. Instances of SCP-286-2 will take a position on the opposing side, nearest the dark game tokens, and roll one of the two dice manifested by SCP-286. After the dice rolled, some other higher order mammal will appear within 47 meters of SCP-286, and become the subject's opposition, SCP-286-2 in the case where the subject is SCP-286-1, or SCP-286-1 in the case where the subject is SCP-286-2. This selection appears related to the results of the first die roll. After appearing, the subject's opposition will take a seated position facing the subject, and will commence playing the first move. Gameplay then consists of SCP-286-1, an SCP-286-2 alternately rolling dice, and moving pieces on the board in complex patterns. A game is won when the center square contains all of one side's tokens, and only that side's tokens. A winning move concludes a Sigma state. During a Sigma state, SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2 will show no reaction to any external stimuli that does not physically interfere with SCP-286-1, SCP-286-2, and their interaction with the game. If something disrupts an ongoing game, then either SCP-286-1 or SCP-286-2 will stand, and vocalize a statement that most commonly translates as forfeit, less commonly as draw. This event will also conclude a Sigma state. When a Sigma state concludes, players cease being designated SCP-286-1 or SCP-286-2, and game tokens, dice, and the subject's opposing player all vanish. All observed subjects, and those opposing players who have been identified and examined, have shown no physical after-effects from interaction with SCP-286. However, all cases have shown a marked increase in spirituality and interest in religious subjects, including, but not limited to, adoption of new belief systems, taking on avows, speaking in tongues, and prophetic visions. For the winning player, this new spirituality will tend to take an optimistic, messianic character. For the losing player, attitudes will tend toward the apocalyptic. Addendum 1. Technical note, TN-286-55. SCP-286 is possible relationship to divination and or revelation. Historically, Lubo was not only a game, but also used as a method of divination, the various spots on the game board corresponding to the sex-aginary cycle used by Chinese to recount the passage of time since the earliest written texts. Given the propensity of subjects to have prophetic visions, subsequent to their participation in a Sigma event, it has been theorized by several researchers that the moves during a Sigma event may themselves be of some prophetic significance. While the possible significance of individual moves during recorded Sigma events is ongoing and so far inconclusive, it has been determined that the act of winning does appear to correspond to significant events beyond the game itself. In particular, every instance of SCP-286-1 winning has been tied to intensification of sunspots, solar flares, and generally increased solar activity. SCP-286-2 winning has been associated with significant tectonic events, including... Because it is not known if these events were predicted by one side winning, or caused by one side winning, experimentation on SCP-286 has been suspended as an unacceptable risk. Addendum 2 Document TR-286-27E excerpted translation of dialogue between SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2 during Sigma event number 27. Forward. D-class test subject was a male Caucasian, 44 years of age, identified as SCP-286-1 after initiation of a Sigma state. Opposition player SCP-286-2 was an as yet unidentified Hispanic female, approximately 20 years of age. The Sigma state lasted for 68 minutes, at which time SCP-286-1 achieved the winning move. During the Sigma event, the players conversed in 25 known languages, and approximately 15 unknown languages. 30% of their dialogue was undecipherable, or in an indeterminate language, marking this episode the most completely translated yet recorded. Begin transcript, 1300 hours, date undisclosed. SCP-286-1 You move rotate slowly and precisely as untranslatable Matter Earth Universe. SCP-286-2 have possessed patience my our brother, and still quiet silence. Untranslatable mind thoughts brain. SCP-286-1 Untranslatable SCP-286-2 laughs Distress discomfort displeasure Untranslatable to you SCP-286-1 Why would I untranslatable Your sins perversions abominations SCP-286-2 laughs SCP-286-1 You disgust me Untranslatable Matter Earth Universe disgusts me SCP-286-2 You untranslatable in that meat skin This amuses me SCP-286-1 Untranslatable SCP-286-2 Move process sequence SCP-286-1 Every time moment eternity My untranslatable closer I must will shall illuminate enlighten this untranslatable SCP-286-2 Size move process sequence SCP-286-1 You are too comfortable undisturbed enslaved bound chained with an untranslatable meat doll puppet Do you untranslatable love arousal untranslatable SCP-286-2 Move process sequence or forfeit SCP-286-1 Untranslatable SCP-286-2 Untranslatable Exiled banished Me to matter Earth Universe Untranslatable No understand me more than you SCP-286-1 Untranslatable Will no understand me and be consumed engulfed destroyed by knowledge understanding SCP-286-2 But brother I am so much closer End transcript 1312 Date undisclosed Addendum 3 Incident report I-286-5 SCPs involved SCP-286 SCP-286-1 SCP-286-2 SCP-4351 Date 311-2000 Location SCP-286's containment area Site-19 Description at 531 UTC Standard security monitoring SCP-286's containment area detected the unauthorized presence of Dr. SS, a foundation researcher temporarily assigned to Site-19, most recently assigned to the study of SCP-435. All experimentation on SCP-286 had been suspended for the preceding eight months, and no activity with the object had been approved. A security team was dispatched, reaching Dr. S as she entered SCP-286's containment area. Upon arrival, the security team discovered the presence of Dr. LW, a researcher assigned to SCP-286, already seated behind the dark side of SCP-286. SCP-286 showed the signs of already being in a Sigma State. Both researchers showed behavioral anomalies, consistent with SCP-286-1 and SCP-286-2. Believing an unauthorized experiment was underway, the security team restrained Dr. S before she could seat herself at SCP-286. In response, Dr. L stood and vocalized what has been identified as vulgar Latin words for grand forfeit. The Sigma State concluded at 545 UTC. Neither researcher could provide any explanation of how they were affected by SCP-286. Dr. S's last recollection was having a cup of coffee at a staff commissary on the other side of the Site-19 complex from SCP-286, while Dr. L reported that he had been reading emails in his office when he blacked out. Simultaneously, with the cessation of SCP-286's Sigma State, there was a sudden emergency in when SCP-4351 unexpectedly entered an active state, moving erratically and data expunged, impacting the ocean basin, causing a data expunged. Contingency 435XK Alpha had been initiated, but she was cancelled when SCP-4351 came to rest three minutes later. Note SCP-286 classification is hereby upgraded to Euclid. 05 Lesson complete. If you missed the previous orientation, go watch SCP-285, a hack job, right now. Or for the complete course, watch this playlist.