 Sarcacism, derived from the Greek sarx, or flesh, is a religious philosophical system that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to the Grand Carcestion, its defied founder. Adherence practice ritual cannibalism, human sacrifice, capoeil augmentation, thaumaturgy, dimensional manipulation, and a formation of pact with otherworldly entities. Organic manipulation has allowed certain sarcosites to achieve anomalous states of being, transcending the physical limitations of baseline humans. Highly secretive, the general public appears to have no direct knowledge of their existence, the one exception being the Church of the Broken God, which views them in apocalyptic terms. Footnote 1 Note Certain splinter sects such as the Church of Maxwellism generally view sarcosism as either destroyed thousands of years ago or as simply an allegory for the imperfection of organic life and for those who are tethered to their base biological nature. Diseases viewed with reverence and sarket shrines have been discovered with offerings of swollen lymph nodes and tumorous growth. Sarcic cults treat contagions as consecration, a means to cold the weak and purify the masses and thus actively seek to ensure their spread. The Foundation divides known sarket cults in the two distinct strands, proto-sarket and neosarkic. Proto-sarket cults can be found in insular communities throughout Eurasia's most isolated regions, its followers generally poor, if self-reliant, humble, and hostile towards outsiders. Such groups issue modernity, display acute technophobia, and are bound by superstition and taboo. In contrast, neosarket cults are cosmopolitan, publicly embracing modernity and showing no apparent qualms with technology. Their public lives differing little from others of their culture and social status. Adherents are primarily affluent families, rich in history and scandal. Both generally follow a single creed whose core beliefs include the following concepts. Apotheosis, the belief that an individual can ascend to godhood. It appears that Sarkicism regards Grandcars' Ion until a lesser extent his clavigar, as a being who has undergone apotheosis. For the proto-sarkite, apotheosis will be achieved in time and only through Ion. For the neosarkite, it almost appears that if one had the ability to usurp Ion, it is their right, if not duty to do so. The path to apotheosis is equal to the will to power. Will. The will to power is the primary driving force of man. The individual seeks to master all things when it is the main, exerting the direction of power, efficacy, while other individuals do the same, often in opposition. Will is the power as form is to matter. In turn, desire is the measure of all things. Footnote 2. Desire is the measure of all things. Be unbound from mortal tethers, do as you will, to whom you will. Sarkic proverb. Theophagy. Footnote 3. Theos. God. And the suffix, phagey, the feton, to eat, devour. The sacramental consumption of a god. Sarkicism holds that there are many gods in the universe, none of which they worship, and that these entities can be devoured in some fashion. The adherents ultimately believe that this parasitic relationship, whether literal or allegorical, is the primary source of their thaumaturgical abilities. Sacrifice. Among proto-Sarkic cults, this appears to manifest as the sacrifice of the self for the benefit of the many. Neo-Sarkic cults, in stark contrast, believe in the sacrifice of the many for the benefit of the individual. Muscles suffer damage, only to heal and become stronger than before. The same can be said for the mind, though developing toleration against conventionally inconceivable things. Cycles of destruction and regeneration. Strife, according to Sarkicism, is the greatest of tutors. To shepherd to flesh. It is believed that all living things descend from a single progenitor, further explored in the mythology section. Adherents hold that this shared ancestry is the key to comporial augmentation. Before suggesting a singular understanding of genetics cloaked beneath layers of mysticism, footnote 4, wary, English-speaking Sarkites will usually refer to this as the blood. It is the right of the Sarkite to guide and cultivate organic matter. Proto-Sarkites appear to believe that Ion is in the process of achieving apotheosis, and upon the completion of his metamorphosis will destroy this flawed, stillborn universe and remake it into a paradise known as the Ecanan, where the many will long last no salvation and joy beneath rose-colored skies. Neo-Sarkic cults notably diverged from this interpretation, holding that Ion has already achieved apotheosis and that one should strive to be as Ion and become like the gods with the acquisition of power, the development of skill, and the severing ethical tethers that limit the potential of the individual. Sarkites speak and write in a unique language that appears to be a syncretism of Proto-Uralic, Indo-European, and Chaos-Tongue, but primarily Proto-Uralic. Footnote 5, Greek, Chaos-Tongue, a foundation term for a poorly understood language whose words commonly appear in Sarkicism and lack any known human equivalent. It is speculated that such words were not intended for human vocal chords, and pronunciation is merely a close approximate. Some of the Sarkicism or Sarkites do not actually refer to themselves as Sarkic, the term of prerogative employed by the ancient mecanites for their enemies. Footnote 6, Predecessors of the Church of the Broken God Thought to be their true name, it was adopted by the Global Occult Coalition and later by the Foundation as part of Project Citra-Artra. In truth, Sarkic cultures refer to their belief system as Nulka, and under no circumstances are Foundation agents to use Sarkic or its derivatives from infiltrating related cults. Footnote 7, from Proto-Uralic, Noxley, plus Ka, meaning Hunger. Through adopting mecanite terminology, the Foundation and Global Occult Coalition have unwittingly perpetrated the flesh and McCain cosmic narrative of the Church of the Broken God, which is an inaccurate and gross simplification of what Sarkicism entails. Footnote 8, Quote, I believe this relationship to be the result of self-fulfilling prophecy on the part of the mecanites. When Sarkicism was first encountered, it strongly resembled an end-times adversary foretold by mecanite schema, the flesh. Unsurprisingly, the mecanites made a connection that was hardly felt by the Sarkites in return. For Sarkicism, the mecanites were simply another people that stood in their way, not some prophesied spiritual foe, Dr. Lo. While this document aims to recognize and correct previous errors, Sarkic and its derivatives remain a normative part of the Foundation's lexicon. Based on available information, the speculated goals of Sarkic cult nevertheless represent an SK-class dominant shift, including the possibility of an SK-class end-of-the-world scenario. It is important to understand that Sarkicism is not only a system of beliefs, but an ancient culture that has, in secret, preserved its own language, traditions, and societal norms, while outwardly adopting the dominant culture of the lands they inhabit. To comprehend the Sarkic psychology, one must remember how their minds are shaped by their distinct social environment. Thus, behavior that would be considered beyond a pale to most, murder, torture, rape, etc., might be perfectly acceptable among Sarkites. Note 9 For proto-Sarkites, such actions are committed zealously for some perceived greater good. For neo-Sarkites, it manifests in a most libertine manner. To be as gods, one must not be bound by mortal concepts of morality. Nothing sacred, nothing taboo. Dr. Faschenbauer Letters between neo-Sarkic cult members have been deciphered, revealing a fairly intricate caste system outside the religious hierarchy. A form of pedigree, it appears that neo-Sarkites place heavy emphasis on bloodline. A hidden aristocracy, whose marriages form packs and the foundation of powerful Sarkite families, referred to by followers as high-bloods, sometimes black-bloods. Note 10 The concept does not appear to exist among proto-Sarkite cults. Indeed, the idea of caste contradicts the ego-voterian beliefs common to early Sarkicism. Note 11 This is likely a play on blue-bloods, a term for nobility and other affluent people. One is generally born into Sarkicism, with new blood introduced through careful selection. It is difficult to draw a line between cult and family in Sarkicism. The recruitment of outsiders is usually unnecessary, as Sarkites have little trouble maintaining their numbers. Their virility and health apparently unaffected by generations of inbreeding. When non-carsist, carcists and above being biologically immortal, Sarkites have significantly lower rates of mortality when compared to that of an average human, rarely dying before reaching a hundred unless by violence or accident. Note 12 Indeed, a Sarkite community was once discovered by studying late-medieval census data and searching for populations with unusually low mortality rates, most especially those whose numbers were unaffected by pandemics such as the Black Death. Note 13 Note It is also possible that, upon reaching a certain age, Neo-Sarkites falsify their deaths and spend the rest of their anomalously extended lives away from public view. Data suggests that hierarchical structures are generally consistent between Sarkic cults, having remained relatively unchanged for at least over the last 3,000 years. The two highest tiers, Ozermark, Grandcarsus, and Klavigar, Highcarsus, have not been verified outside of Scripture and ancient documents, rendering it difficult to discern whether these ranks are truly part of the modern Sarkite hierarchy or serve as a mostly mythical foundation. With that said, the standard hierarchy, from highest to lowest, consists of Ozermark, also known as the Grandcarsus, the highest tier reserved for the prophet Ion and no other, Ion is further discussed throughout the document. Klavigar, also known as Highcarsus, roughly inogolous to a saint, the names of four Klavigar are presently known. It is common for Neo-Sarkites to claim ancestry from the Klavigar. See the Hagiography subsection of history for information about individual Klavigar. Carsus, the spiritual and secular leaders among Sarkite organizations. Carsus are considered biologically immortal in varying form and anomalous ability. Footnote 14, although all known Carsus appear to have once been non-anomalous humans, only some maintain a human visage. It is theorized that they are able to control their Hell-cost via the release of complex pheromones. It is assumed that Klavigar and the Ozermark wield similar influence. Footnote 15, a group of anomalous organic entities controlled by a Carsus. Volotar, advisors to a Carsus, predominantly female among proto-Sarkite cults for reasons unknown. Zend, a midland rank of the Sarkite Hierarchy, have a degree of power and protection unlike the Oran. Oran, the lowest rank of the Sarkite Hierarchy, adherents who do not descend from a Sarkite bloodline begin at this level. Cosmology, the observable universe is one among a finite or infinite number of possible universes contained within the meta-universe. Each universe can, in turn, be divided into a finite or infinite number of iterations. The structure of the meta-universe, the natural laws, would allow for the manifestation of universes is eternal, without beginning or end. Universes, on the other hand, are created and eventually destroyed. Beyond this, Sarkite cosmology is fairly simple by virtue of the indifference of its adherents. Universes regard it as an entirely brute fact, corruptible, discordant, and devoid of purpose. Yalda Bayoth, also known as Vasjumma, god-eater, devourer, his undulating vastness, the great winnowar, and various other epithets, is regarded as Sarkicism as the principal power in the universe. Footnote 16, a name thought to be first employed by Gnostic and Mechanaite sects. Footnote 17, Literature, the Old God. Observing being treated with reverence, Yalda Bayoth is not worshipped and appears to be regarded as subservient to Ion in some manner. Translated fragments of the Valxeron suggest that Ion has somehow usurped control of this cosmic entity, wearing the flesh of the god-eater as a sort of armor and crafting from its body a kingdom. As with all things related to Sarkicism, it is difficult to discern reality from myth. The relationship between Sarkicism and this entity may be akin to that of a parasite in its host, or perhaps even symbolic. The wound, cut from the flesh of totality, deep, is severed to line a future and past. Drawn to its ancient fester, God swarmed his flies to a corpse. We waited within bloodless veins, faithful to that which we could not know, unable to imagine that we might become their greater. Here we slept until our souls became flesh. Yalda Bayoth is portrayed as both destroyer and incidental creator, feeding upon gods and stars and exhaling life. Life is thus a natural byproduct of the god-eater's existence, unguided by intelligence and spreading through a process not entirely dissimilar from panspermia. Footnote 18. The theory that life exists and is distributed throughout the universe in the form of germs and spores that develop in the right environment. Being and driven solely by instinct, Yalda Bayoth is depicted as being accompanied by six otherworldly entities known as Archons, or Voltus, among certain proto-Sarkic cults. These beings are described by Sarkit texts as faceless manifestations of primordial chaos, their true forms inconceivable to the human mind. Gnostic and mechaniac scripture would mention the Archons as well, describing them as terrible and rapacious angels. The swine-herd prostated himself before the sorcerer king and asked, Great sorcerer king and Asimok, heart of man and light of lights, I speak for the folk of the cold marsh. We fear the red lanterns that dance without harmony. Our spirit guides warn of ill omens. An ion did assure the man, I have gazed upon the faceless ones, servitors of his undulating vastness. Their chief is blind, castrated by our words and will. They sing songs of anarchy, but they will not come again. These terrible spirits do not deserve our love. Render under them no sacrifice until the stars have aligned. San Vith The six ordeals of Ion refer to six challenges issued to Ion by the Archons. Through endearing their trials, Ion is said to have mastered the rituals and practices ubiquitous to Sarkicism, breaking free from the bondage of mortal limitations. Other information about Ion's relationship with Yaldabaoth and his Archons, as well as the nature of the ordeals, remains unknown. Footnote 19 Although relevant sons are believed to be recorded within the Elu-1 class, a known but unrecovered Sarkic grimoire, and to his flock Ion does spoke, I have stepped beyond the flow of dreams, stood before the old ones within their own desolate domain. I have endured their intolerable force, across countless Ions. I have seen the infinite dead worlds, murdered death herself. I have read the entrails of our creator, beheld eternity unfurled, know that our paradise draws near, and with their own flesh shall we birth it, son Scowl. Most information regarding Sarkic history and mythology is sourced to the Bodphil Codex. Discovered from SCP-2480, the Codex includes a partial translation of the Valkyron and related Marginalia. Along with archaeological evidence, the Foundation have been able to establish the Historicity of Sarkicism. As essential as the Codex has been, large gaps remain in a timeline and much of the following is entirely speculative and subject to change. Early History Sarkic weapons, armor, and trinkets have been discovered among Minoan ruins on the island of Santorini, formerly Thera, possibly placing their origins to at least before the eruption event which triggered a complete collapse of Minoan civilization around 1500 BCE. Footnote 20. Not enough to suggest an invasion and occupation. More likely the items arrived via Minoan merchants and central Asian trade routes. It is presently believed that Sarkicism itself did not reach the Mediterranean until approximately 1200 BCE, theoretically related to the Bronze Age collapse. Devite tablets, dated to approximately 1800 BCE, refer to a slave rebellion in the northernmost province led by a charismatic Heriocethearch and half-blood. Scrolls discovered within contain phrases and terms archetypal to Sarkic cults, including references to a Grand Carcass Ion. These findings suggest that Sarkicism has existed for nearly 4000 years. All evidence, linguistically and archaeologically, points to western Siberia as Sarkicism's place of origin. Ion, if still alive, if having ever existed at all, likely represents a high-level reality bender and has been classified as POI-93. Footnote 21. Included by the GOC is KTE-0452-BLACK-4-4-SEVERE-THREAT in 1952. This represents the earliest secular analysis of Ion. Little is known about the Grand Carcassus, source for a king of Atatum, with all information being in the form of deification or demonization and lacking factual reliability. Footnote 22. A city of unnumbered, unspeakable crimes, according to the ancient mecanites, considered the capital of Sarkicism, it remains unknown if the location continues to exist in some manner. The Valks-Iron refers to Ion having been born to a devite mother and sired by a conchemist father, implying that males born of such unions were destined for slavery. The exact nature of Ion's bondage is unknown, but his supposed intellect suggests that he was not used for combat or manual labor, perhaps serving under an alchemist or priestess. It remains unknown which came first, Ion's doctrine or its revolution. It remains unknown which came first, Ion's doctrine or its revolution. If these events are grounded in reality, it is possible that the religion developed in coincidence with its slave revolt and has a way to codify the methods of anomalous warfare. In his mission, Ion was aided by four individuals known as the Clavigar, figures of reverence and supposed disciples of Ion, they are the saints of Sarkicism. Hagiography, Clavigar, Nadox. Associated with intelligence, wisdom, perception, and mysteries, epithets include the tongueless speaker, Lord of Mysteries, the All-Seeing, and the anticipation of Ion. Once a sage in the southernmost region of devite influence, he preached a philosophy of peace and equality, building a following among the impoverished. According to Deva, he was captured and publicly tortured, the poor he had tried to help now hurling stones upon him. Before the crowd of hundreds, drunk in atrocious in their stupidity, a Deva priestess cut off his tongue, so shut his mouth, and had him emasculated. Footnote 23, the complete removal of the penis and the testicles, an apparently common form of punishment among the matriarchal devites. Rather than having Nadox executed, they instead had him marked, a symbol placed upon the forehead, impossible to remove, it designated him as a sufferer, one who the people were required by the Deva's decree to forever torment but never kill. Nadox wandered the land as a pariah, denied refuge and safe passage, struck with rocks and slashed with knives, all by the people he had hoped to save. It is written that he beheld while suffering a fever dream, a messianic entity, one that could rescue him and humanity from an existence of suffering and tears. Nadox would travel north in search of the Saviour to guide Ion towards his destiny. And Ion held six fingers aloft and upon their spears did the soldiers impale themselves. For you they cried before the blood drowned their tongues, and Ion said, Now do you see? And Nadox wept, as more did skewer themselves in Ion's name, for he has seen and now knew the truth of his words. Son Surus Klavigar Lobotar Associated with sex, love, eroticism, pleasure, motherhood, disease, and unrestrained reproduction, breeding, cancers, growth, etc. Epitets include the one whom Ion most desired, the high blood redeemer, and the mother, on rare occasion, brood or hive mother. A priestess, as well as the daughter of a deva matriarch, she was initially in opposition to Ion, whose revolution threatened her way of life. It is written that her hatred for Ion eventually became a sort of infatuation. Unable to remove him from her mind, she sought to capture and bind him as her consort. In her quest to make him hers, Lobotar sent wave after wave of slave hunters, but none returned. One time, it would be Ion who came to her by his own accord. It is written that Ion visited her in the night, bypassing her guards and appearing within her bed chamber. Instead of attacking, he sat upon the edge of the bed and quietly spoke to her. What was said is unknown, but resulted in Lobotar and Ion forming a union over a period of twelve days. Footnote 24 It is written that the words were meant for Lobotar alone and thus never recorded. Within the twelfth day, the two left her palace behind, never to return. Beneath the black moon, her devotion took the form of a stone knife, like those of the reindeer folk of Adium. Penetrated amber blood, colored by ancient sins, poured from the wound, her tears like the warm rain of distant summers. Beneath the poisoned moon, the amber flowed no more, and the snow, she painted red. Indecipherable for Ion, who drank deep the fermented honey of Lobotar's kiss, Ion surrendered upon her pale breast, a shared respite and ecstasy. Still, Ion hungered, and from Lobotar's dark lips flowed words. There is pleasure in serving, smiling he, bowed, lowered his head, knowing the drunk joy of milk and sweet fermented honey. Soan Tau In Clavigar, Oroc, a figure of reverence and supposed disciple of Ion, associated with strength, war, violence, wilderness, hunting, and seemingly in contradiction, loyalty and revolt, epithets include the horned beast, the brute lord, and the pale hunter. Described as being of unnatural physical strength, Oroc was the product of alchemical and thermoturgical experimentation on slaves, enthralled the matriarch as Vigosa, the ruling diva in the city of Jail. Oroc served as a bodyguard and pet fighter, footnote 25, apparently considered the greatest gladiatorial combatant of his time. It is written that Ion, when taking the city of Jail, entered the palace of matriarch as Vigosa, presumably the highest authority in the city. He requested that the matriarch should leave and take with her a message to the diva of divas, lest she suffer retribution. Refusing his ultimatum, the matriarch ordered Oroc to destroy him. It is written that Oroc hesitated, his runes of bondage setting his starved soul aflame so that his body became spirit. Turning to his matriarch, he struck as Vigosa, his fist imbued with the very power she had forced upon him and reduced her body to cindered ash and heavenly starlight. As Oroc said to the chytherans, power is made from the pain of the fragile, where weakness dies, here strength is borne, I exert myself, a pale reflection of Ion's sacrifice of flesh to the intolerable force, and shed frailty's husk. I commune with my acoloth core, my sacred metamorphosis complete, son susk. Footnote 26, Kythra is a location that appears in both Sarkic and Church of the Broken God scripture. The Valkxeron describes the conquest of Kythra and the conversion of its people. The Maxwellian Book of Horrors associates the location with the processized N.K. Class End of the World Scenario. Footnote 27, a symbolic organism implanted in the bodies of Sarkic cultists, further discussed in the Organism section. Clavigar Sarn, a figure of reverence and supposed disciple of Ion, associated with darkness, secrecy, deception, poison, assassination, and justice, or Jaka. Footnote 28, Jaka translates as divide, separate or even coal. It is employed in Sarkicism as a concept of cosmic justice, separating the strong from the weak, adherent from apostate, terminating those deemed enemy or unnecessary. Appetites include the Whisperer, the Coiled Shadow, the Faceless One, and the Judgement of Ion. A young house servant, she quaintly endured day-by-day abuse throughout her life. Being suffered long enough, she calmly murdered the entire household with poison, garret, and dagger. Captured, she would be imprisoned within the fortress city of Cursed. Footnote 29, the first to fall so that he might rise, said to be the first kingdom to fall to additum, and have him become symbolic of the inevitable defeat of those who stand in opposition to Sarkicism. Sarn was awaiting execution when first approached by Ion, who moved through the dungeon walls like the mist of summer snow melt. There, he said, the winds whispered of your actions. There is no evil in the Judgement. You do not choose to be the vessel of our will. Many will die this day, but you are needed alive. The Prophet's hand is described as having transformed into a wolfish maw, tearing apart the celled door with his teeth and liberating Sarn. Honing her skills, Sarn would eventually control a network of spies and assassins. A Davide tablet describes her efficacy in graphic detail, including men and women disemboweled in the streets, and Davide infants strangled in their own cradles by traitorous servants. The heart is made silent still, before her dagger seen, a moment immortalized in a single strike stab, the Judgement unavoidable, inescapable, dismay, a death inconceivable. To the arrogance of Davide, triumph, a dagger in the darkness, with the blood of tyrants, our children sleep well. Sun Vaku. There is little available information about sarcasm between Circa 1600 and Circa 1200 BCE, despite the period being considered the Golden Age of Sarcasm civilization. It is during this period that Davide culture recedes, existing only as a small city-state and with it now Mongolia. Footnote 30. It has been hypothesized that the Davides sought to anonymously preserve themselves as more and more territory was lost to Sarkites. It is theorized that the Adium Empire left little archaeological evidence for its existence due to the sarkic structures being composed of living organic material. War and the fall of the Adium Empire, sarkic civilization, having reached its zenith, began to spread into Caucasus, Anatolia, Balkans, and parts of the Levant and Mesopotamia. Impressed by or fearful of their anomalous capabilities, several tribal groups began to fight under the banner of Adium. These include Caskians, Protothracians, Lycians, Ilians, and many others. The Hittite King, Superlumia II, tried in vain to defeat the invaders, contributing to the fall of the Hittite Empire. Footnote 31. This information, as with all information involved in Sarkicism, cannot be revealed to the public. Fortunately, most non-foundation historians blame the events of the Late Bronze Age collapse on the mysterious Sea Peoples. The Adium Empire established a foothold in the Mediterranean, invading colonizing the islands of Cyprus, Crete, and Gheros. It is uncertain as to who struck first, but a coalition of kingdoms was formed in response to the Sarkic threat, resulting in a war around 1200 BCE. Archaeological findings such as mass graves, weapons, terrain damage, and primary source documents, such as scrolls recovered from Gheros and the Aral Sea, revealed the extreme and anomalous nature of the war. Foundation historians estimate a death toll ranging from 20 to 30 million, making it the fourth most devastating war in recorded history. According to recovered documents, the coalition formed in response to the Adium Empire included Egyptians, Mycenaean Greeks, Minoans, Canites, Assyrians, and the Meccanites. Footnote 32. It appears that Minoans conspirators fought on the side of the Adium Empire. Minoan civilization had been on decline at the time of the war. Footnote 33. The Meccanites are theorized as having been the driving force for the coalition, seeking allies against a threat perceived by them as the end of the world. Although Greek in origin, the cult of Meccane had temples throughout the Mediterranean, most notably in Egypt and the Levant. Most details of the war are unknown to the Foundation. It is suspected that the deployment of Colossae touched at SCP-2406, as well as the heavy use of a substance resembling Greek fire that turned the tide of war against the Sarkites. Footnote 34. Traditionally thought as having been deployed circa 672 CE. When the war was over, the Adium Empire was assumed destroyed along with Sarkage civilization. In reality, Sarkicism would continue in secret, at both its homeland and the Urals and among the tribes that had fought under the banner of Adium, such as among the Thracians and Dacians. The damage to the region was great, and many civilizations did not recover, resulting in the collapse of various kingdoms. A crisis of refugees, the decline of art, literature, science, and technology, and the lingering disease and famine from Sarkate biological weapons, an event later known as historian to the late Bronze Age collapse. The fall of the Adium Empire also resulted in a Sarkate Dyspora, leading to the development of culturally distinct Sarkate cults in places such as the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. Due to a lack of reliable information, the Foundation got only speculated about Sarkate activity between circa 1100 BCE and 1300 CE. The rise of Neo-Sarkicism The majority of known Neo-Sarkate cults appear to descend from certain Carpathian-Norval families influenced by the proto-Sarkate Salamanari. Footnote 35 The Haunter's Black Lodge being the only known Neo-Sarkate cult to not share this lineage. This is likely subject to change if the Foundation uncovers more Sarkate organizations. It is unknown whether the Salamanari intentionally infiltrated Carpathian courts, or if they were instead sought out by the Nobles themselves, ignoring or dismissing, possibly embracing the rumors of devil worship and witchcraft surrounding the cult. Documents and artifacts retrieved from SCP-███ suggest that some Salamanari served as court magicians, advising their lords and ladies on matters of alchemy, medicine, astrology, and the cult. In time, this would result in the development of Sarkate Great Houses, affluent families practicing their own interpretation of Sarkicism, placing the individual above the collective and applying it to their own self-serving needs. This new strain of Sarkicism would spread throughout Europe via marriage. Once these footholds were established, the Great Houses grew incestuous. Individual orders varied by region but can be divided into two primary types, Proto-Sarkate and Neo-Sarkate. These do not appear to represent divergent beliefs so much as environmental adaptations. Practitioners of Proto-Sarkicism do not operate in the open unless a location is significantly isolated. Such sacks display acute technophobia and eschewed modernity, willing to go so far as to destroy or disable advanced electronics when encountered. Flit Note 36 Communication devices appear to be considered especially abhorrent. Proto-Sarkate cults generally value humility and self-sacrifice. Known orders, GOI-0246, the Solomonari. The ancestors of the Solomonari likely settled in the Carpathian Basin between 1200-600 BCE. Flit Note 37, also historically recorded as the Grimtees or Houlton. It is presently hypothesized that the Sarkites assimilated the local Proto-Thracian people, eventually becoming the Dacians, a people recorded by ancient Greek and Roman sources. A Sarkic stronghold, since classified as SCP-███, was discovered in the southern Carpathians and is believed to have once been the heart of the Solomonari cult. Flit Note 38, corresponding with the given location of the legendary Scolomants, a school of black magic and Romanian folklore, has been hypothesized that the Solomonari are related to, or one and the same as, the Dacian cult of Zalmoxis, having culturally melded with the ancient Proto-Thracian people. Documents discovered at SCP-███ and SCP-2191 suggest that the Solomonari remain highly influential, albeit secretive, until the 15th century, possibly destroyed by John Hunyati, a leading Hungarian military and political figure. Local bulliers of Wallachia and Moldavia, most notably the good-killed clan of Hungarian nobles, are now believed to have been under the control of the Solomonari, an influence that would lead to the development of Neo-Sarkicism and its western expansion. It remains debatable whether modern practitioners should be considered true Solomonari in event of what has been learned at SCP-███. Most are located in isolated pockets throughout the Carpathians, with little to no connection with one another. Their religion, and its current state, is an amalgam of local folk traditions and Solomonari blood rituals. GOI-0074 Church of the Red Harvest The Church of the Red Harvest were discovered at SCP-2133 in 1936 by Gru Division P. The Foundation became aware of the sect shortly after gaining control of SCP-2133 following the dissolution of the USSR. SCP-2133 is an unnamed village located in the northern neural mountains, whose denizens are the only known members of the Church of the Red Harvest. The Church practices a regeneration ritual. The recent dead harvested of newborns from the turnip field found throughout SCP-2133. Members refer to the regenerative process as a part of an old covenant, one that cannot be broken and is to last until the return of Paradise. Additum. It is currently believed that the Church of the Red Harvest is directly controlled by a Carcist, Carcist Alka, located in a subterranean dwelling beneath the nearby mountains, connected to the village by a series of tunnels accessible via the village's church. GOI-0041 The Vatala The Vatala were initially mistaken for Agori due to several superficially similar rituals. SCP-0939 Ascetic Shiva Satis known to engage in post-mortem rituals. Known to the Foundation since 1969, a Sarka connection was only established in 2010 through extensive research. The Vatala command fear and respect among the rural poor in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Hamachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab and Gojuret. They trace their origins to Carcis Vasky, whom they claim arrived from the Northwest, granting them his blessing and spreading a virulent plague to their enemies. Neo-Sarkacism displays only a superficial resemblance to historical and current proto-Sarkat sects, whereas proto-Sarkacism is isolated and archaic, bound by superstition and taboo. Neo-Sarkacism embraces modernity, whereas proto-Sarkacism is fragmented, each group existing within a vacuum. Neo-Sarkacism is cosmopolitan and unified. It remains unknown whether Neo-Sarkic cults represent a relatively recent development or a willing evolution of proto-Sarkat sects. Neo-Sarkaids display no qualms with technology, and may be found in heavily populated locations. Their daily lives differing little from others of their culture and social status. For Neo-Sarkic cults, the proper moral purpose of one's life is to pursue to one's own desires and the attainment of power. GOI-0490 Atatom's Wake Active throughout the Northeastern United States, Atatom's Wake is thought to be the oldest Sarkat organization in North America, with evidence of their existence dating as far back as 1650. The organization was presumably destroyed on November 28, 1952, but not before the curation of SCP-2480, considered by the founders of Project Citra-Artra to represent the first shots of what would become a complex and invisible conflict. Cornelius P. Bodfield III, Carces Sulkist, a millionaire industrialist with an acute interest in the occult, was the acting leader of Atatom's Wake until his death in 1952. Dismissed by the Foundation in 1932 as merely another decadent social club, their anonymous capabilities were not recognized until the November 28, 1952 incident. The Foundation fears that Atatom's Wake has survived its initial defeat. It is theorized that the renewed cult is presently under control of Vivienne Durant-Croy, president and CEO of the Durant-Bodfield Financial Group, wife of Hungarian national Alexander-Croy, CEO of Abraxas Arms and a suspected Sarkite, GOI-0432, The Hunter's Black Lodge. GOI-0432 is an anonymous criminal cult primarily active in the post-Soviet states known as The Hunter's Black Lodge, or simply The Black Lodge. GOI-0432 has been linked to extortion, murder, robbery, gambling, prostitution, human trafficking, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and underground fighting rings. While these activities are not inherently anomalous, the anomalous capabilities of GOI-0432 has had an aberrant effect on their practice. The Foundation first became aware of the Black Lodge in the early 1990s after receiving a tip from informants in Interpol. Further investigation uncovered GOI-0432 related documents from the recently dissolved GRU Division P, later corroborated by former members. It appears that GRU Division P was unable to fully contain or neutralize the threat presented by the Black Lodge, with one source describing them as a hydra. The organization thought neutralized on several occasions, only for it to reappear months later, stronger than before. Victims of the Black Lodge have been discovered impaled, penetrated by large organic spines, the decedents commonly showing evidence of ritual cannibalism. Note 40, these spines appear superficially chitinous, and despite showing strong structural similarities to coral, contain human DNA. GOI-0385 Esoteric Order of the White Worm Active primarily throughout Europe, the Esoteric Order of the White Worm, Pharafarig Esotericris Grind, is a sarkic cult disguised as an occult-themed fraternal organization similar to other secret societies. The existence of the cult is an open secret, while its true nature is unknown to the general population. GOI-41 An Order, Organization, Society, or a club of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Despite being referred to as fraternal, the Esoteric Order of the White Worm is open to men and women. GOI-42 Although like other such groups, it has been the subject of various conspiracy theories. The Foundation does not believe that there is much factual basis to such claims. Based on documents recovered from the SCP-███ archives, the Esoteric Order may be one of the earliest Neo-Sarkic sects. Founded by Hungarian nobles heavily influenced by their Solomonari court magicians, the religion transformed from a hidden pagan fate to a secret tool of the landed gentry. Descendants of Housevoros, a Hungarian noble family, are thought to dominate the leadership positions of the Esoteric Order. The operation and manipulation of living organisms through anomalous means represents the most immediate threat posed by Sarkicism. GOI-43 DNA Analysis suggests that some Sarkin organisms have been created through a process of artificial selection, breeding organisms including humans to the point where they no longer resemble their ancestors. Enough patterns have been discovered among these organisms that they can be divided into different species. These organisms display no sign of fear or pain and regenerate entries at an anomalous rate, below the partial list of such entities. SK-Biotype-A Co-locally referred to as Behemoths by personnel, these entities are commonly over 4 meters tall, weighing approximately 7,000 kilograms with pale, flabby skin, checking visible eyes, ears, and noses, their faces dominated by a large toothy mouth. The first recorded instance of an SK-Biotype-A was SCP-2480-2. They appear to be of limited intelligence. SK-Biotype-B Generally 1.5 to 2 meters tall weighing approximately 250 kilograms, mouths are vertical, running the length of what approximates a face, spindly fingers in and 50 to 60 centimeter talons, bodies are partially protected by white, chitinous carapace, the flesh beneath dark red and visible and movable joints. SK-Biotype-Delta Also classified as SCP-2191-1, SK-Biotype-Delta are considered genetically human but have undergone several insignificant seemingly fatal mutations. SK-Biotype-Delta lack all major internal organs with the exception of the lungs, heart, and brainstem. The outer epidermis lacks pigmentation and displays a condition resembling cracked porcelain, possibly related to Harlequin syndrome. Entities appear androgynous, lacking or having somehow removed secondary sex characteristics. The regressed eyes are covered by a layer of skin, rendering them mostly blind but still able to react to light. They display a version of wavelengths greater than 100 nanometers. Further deviations from baseline Homo sapiens include especially flat, upturned noses and funnel-shaped ears, both considered related to their dependency, an olfactory and auditory perception. They do not appear to communicate via language, the only sound produced being a persistent clicking of the tongue, speculated to be a form of echolocation. SK-Biotype-Delta, colloquially referred to as snatchers by personnel, prehensile organic structures dark red in color and with a tentaculoid shape. SK-Biotype-Delta are sedentary and are generally used by Sarkites to guard specific locations. SK-Biotype-E known as Sarkite as a karak, instances of SK-Biotype-E are organic, biologically living structures used as temples. The foundation presently has a deceased instance, SCP-2095, in containment, but other possibly living instances are theorized to exist across the world. Update, living instances have been recently encountered by field agents, further information is pending. The creation of a karak is more terrible than initially hypothesized, a living human is anointed, then repeatedly fed and shaped, its brain slowly atrophying as it becomes a living temple. The Sarkites cultivate flesh and bone as one might tend to bonsai tree. Dr. Tsukino SK-Biotype-Z, known as Sarkite as an Acolyth and his sacred white worm, instances of SK-Biotype-Z are symbiotic organisms found in the bodies of both Sarkites and Sarkite organisms. It is believed that they act as a secondary immune system, protecting the host against disease as well as greatly increasing their regenerative abilities. SK-Biotype-Z is also believed to be connected to the physical transformations some Sarkites undergo. SK-Biotype-H SK-Biotype-H may exist as or be composed of multiple species and generally refers to any SK-Biotype that lacks a stable physical form, although this can occur in many if not all Sarkite organisms is critically injured. Existing as a gelatinous mass, such organisms are able to increase their size with no known limit by absorbing the biomass of those it encounters. An individual can be converted to an SK-Biotite H by ritual as encountered when SCP-2075 caused a transfiguration and subsequent death to Dr. Albert Kronenberg.