Welcome To Spectral Affairs - SCP Foundation

NOTICE

This pamphlet has been digitized, courtesy of the Recordkeeping and Information Security Administration (RAISA) and reformatted to fit its digital form. For more information, comments, questions, or concerns, please contact your RAISA representative. Thank you.

- Maria Jones, RAISA Director

Cover

What is Phasmology?

Department of Spectral Affairs

CoSMo Spectral Entity Classification

Fourth House Program

Department of Spectral Affairs

" Phasmology is - in short - the study of Spectral Entities, not necessarily just the undead or ghosts. Now take that last word: ghosts. Forget it. Forget all preconceptions you have on the undead, resurrection, and especially ghosts. Spectral Entities are not always the souls of dead people. They may be the souls of living people separated from their bodies via thaumaturgical means. They may not even be people or living beings and instead the manifestation of some spirit or demon. They may have a physical body or just be a set of whispers in the night. They might be animalistic or they might be so different, our minds cannot comprehend them. They can come from different places, different realms, different afterlifes, and different universes altogether. We understand very little about them or how they work. But we do know 2 things. One: there are too many for us to contain, and two: they're damn hard to kill. Although we do contain or decommission some Spectral Entities, that doesn't work for the majority of cases. What does the Foundation do then? We move to the next best thing: Diplomacy. "

- Director Regan, Head of Department of Spectral Affairs, Site-273 Orientation, May 1, 2003

History

The Department of Spectral Affairs was formed in 1986 to combat the rising number of Spectral Entities in Europe. When it was formed, it consisted of only two departments: The Phasmology Division and the Containment and Combat Division with a workforce of 25 and 37 respectively. It was originally located at Humanoid Containment Site-06-2 until 1995 when Site-237 was constructed in Thuringia, Germany. The next year, 1996, the Office of Spectral Entity Diplomacy (OSED) was formed in an attempt to reduce the number of Spectral Entities via diplomatic means. Over the next three years, sightings and encounters of Spectral Entities decreased by 43%, with over half of that estimated to be a direct cause of OSED. As a result, in 2000, OSED became the top priority of the Department of Spectral Affairs. In 2002, the Foundation Embassy to Valhalla was opened, becoming the first of seven. The most recent embassy, The Foundation Embassy to the ANAR1 , was added in 2018, allowing for near-complete monitoring of Afterlives and Spectral Entities from then on.

Phasmology Division

The Phasmology Division is dedicated to researching and studying Spectral Entities, death, and afterlives. It currently employs an upward of 70 researchers and 24 other personnel. It has made numerous developments in the study of Phasmology including (but not limited to);

The discovery of Ectoplasm, a type of energy given off by Spectral Entities

The creation of the CoSMo Spectral Entity Classification system

The discovery of eight entrances into different afterlives

The invention of two paratech weapons

The creation of the Cazar-Hynman Spectral Capture Device (CHySCaD)

Containment and Combat Division (CCD)

The Containment and Combat Division was the original focus of the Department of Spectral Affairs until OCED took the priority. Before this time, it consisted of over 150 personnel but now employs 63. The CCD has two Mobile Task Forces assigned to it: Iota-20 ("Silver Daggers") and Chi-14 ("Grave Robbers"). Often works in tandem with MTF Mu-13 ("Ghostbusters") to take down large Spectral Entity threats.

MTF Iota-20: ("Sliver Daggers")

MTF Iota-20 is a task force dedicated to the containment and decommissioning of Spectral Entities. Iota-20 is divided into 3 battalions, each with 12 Field Agents and led by one Senior Field Agent. Each Field Agent is equipped with a standard Small Arms kit and one CHySCaD device. Each battalion has access to a SEDS2 and means of transportation. In its 35 years of operation, Iota-20 has contained approximately 56 SEs and decommissioned over 130. The current head of Iota-20 is Senior Field Agent Jane Brown, originally a member of MTF Alpha-1 ("Red Right Hand").

MTF Chi-14 ("Grave Robbers")

MTF Chi-14 is focused on the investigation of potential Spectral Entities and public misinformation on their existence. Chi-14 is composed of 16 Field Agents, with no overarching structure. Each agent is equipped with a small arms kit, a small amount of Class A, B, and C amnestics, and a micro-SEDS. Chi-14 is currently led by Senior Field Agents Mark Angles.

MTF Lambda-32 ("Bloody Mary") (Disbanded)

MTF Lambda-32 formerly consisted of 8 Spectral Entities, in an attempt to monitor afterlives and combat Spectral Entities more effectively. 4 members were deceased Foundation Personnel, transformed into SE's via thaumaturgic means, 1 member was a non-human SE partial to Foundation goals, and 3 of which were provided by a temporary agreement with Valhalla (see below). Lambda-32 was led by the former Doctor Kufkat, current location unknown.

Office of Spectral Entity Diplomacy (OSED)

OSED is the centerpiece of Spectral Affairs, containing well over 100 employees. It has successfully stopped over 300 hauntings due to direct involvement and has been theorized to have stopped over 1000 due to the Embassy program. OSED is responsible for the management and oversight of the Fourth House program, and integrating Spectral Entities deemed fit.

Embassy Program

The Embassy program was founded in 2002 with the creation of the Foundation Embassy to Valhalla, marking the end of Lambda-32. This embassy replaced the original agreement between the Foundation and Valhalla in which Valhalla provided Spectral Entities for use as Lambda-32 agents and allowed the Foundation to monitor the Spectral Entities across the Norse Realms. In exchange, the Foundation would assist the Aesir during Ragnarok.

Foundation Embassy to Valhalla (2002)

Foundation Embassy to Xibalba (2005)

Foundation Embassy to the Duat (2009)

Foundation Seat on the Council of Kāmadhātu (2011)

Foundation Embassy to Hades (2014)

Foundation Embassy to the Plain of High Heaven (2017)

Foundation Embassy to ANAR (2018)

The CoSMO Spectral Entity Classification system is used by the Foundation to categorize the approximate threat and negotiability of a SE via 3 statistics, those being:

Corporeality

Sapience

Mobility

Corporeality

Corporeality represents how easily and to what extent the Spectral Entity can affect the physical world. There are 7 classes, ranging from 0-VI.

Class Null: "Dead Whispers"

The entity has no physical manifestation, and cannot interact with the physical realm outside of creating auditory and other sensory hallucinations.

Class I: "Wraith"

The entity very rarely has any physical manifestation outside of a "voice" and limited control over the physical realm, limited to the levitation of small objects, altering of senses, and manipulation of electronic devices.

Class II: "Poltergeist"

The entity usually has a very weak physical manifestation, often being translucent and non-solid. A moderate amount of control over the movement of objects in a limited vicinity and the ability to create a sense of dread, fear, or uneasiness in sapient beings.

Class III: "Phantom"

The entity has a near-solid physical manifestation, often with limited control over the solidity of its form (ie, being able to phase through walls and then physically interact with an object). As previously mentioned, can physically interact with objects and have the ability to manifest small physical or near-solid objects. Can possess a subject or object it comes in contact with

Class IV: "Kami"

The entity has no finite physical manifestation but can create either a solid or near-solid one at will. It has limited to moderate telekinesis and can manifest physical or spectral objects with some restraints. Can possess a single individual or object in a limited range.

Class V: "Einherjar"

The entity has complete control over its physical form and can manifest physical and spectral objects with almost no restraint. Possess strong telekinetic abilities in a large range around itself, often being able to possess multiple subjects at once.

Class VI: "Osiris"

The entity has no limits to any physical form or manifestation of objects. Has incredibly strong telekinetic and illusory properties, with a range stretching up to 3 kilometers around itself. It can possess a nearly unlimited amount of subjects, nearly without range.

Sapience

Sapience measures a SE's intelligence and comprehension of surroundings. This may also include any telepathic or precognitive abilities an Entity may have.

Class Null: "Inanimate"

The entity is not sapient or sentient, and instead only produces abilities due to stimuli or on a periodic basis. Communication with Class Null entities is impossible and containment is recommended.

Class I: "Preta"

The entity is sentient, but not sapient, and often has limited control over its abilities. Although it may repeat words or phrases, it does not understand language and communication is highly limited.

Class II: "Feral"

The entity may be sapient, but if so, less intelligent than an average human being. Entity is primarily driven by instinct, and occasionally uses strategies to achieve it's goals. Class II entities have a basic understanding of at one least language and can be negotiated with, although sparingly.

Class III: "Akh"

The entity is as sapient and intelligent as a human being. Akh class entities fluently speak and understand at least one language, or have the ability to communicate telepathically. Beyond this, they rarely have any form of psychic abilities.

Class IV: "Superior"

The entity has an intelligence far beyond that of an average human being (scoring roughly 150+ on IQ tests). Typically can be negotiated with. Some Class IV entities may possess psychic abilities such as precognition, psychometry2, and Extra Sensory Perception.

Class V: "Delphi"

The entity has vast knowledge and intelligence nearly beyond human ability (IQ of 220+). Capable of communicating in many forms (include telepathically) but often has desires beyond Foundation comprehension. The majority of Class V entities possess moderate psychic abilities including extensive precognition, the ability to "attack" an individual mentally, and clairvoyance.

Class VI: "Toth"

The entity is near-omnipotent and can communicate in nearly every conceivable manner. Toth Class entities can experience many timelines and realities simultaneously, having incredibly powerful psychic abilities.

Mobility

Mobility represents how far and fast a Spectral Entity can move if it can move at all.3,

Class Null: "Anchored"

The entity is anchored to a single physical object, and can only manipulate objects in a very small radius.

Class I: "Drifter"

The entity can move, but possesses little control over direction and speed. Often moves slowly.

Class II: "Zephyr"

The entity exhibits limited control over movement, but can still only move slowly.

Class III: "Mercury"

The entity is capable of fully controlling movement. Usually moves at around 2 m/s, with bursts of faster movement.

Class IV: "Fūjin"

The entity has greater control over movement and a higher cruising speed (usually around 6 m/s). Sprint speeds range up to 12 m/s.

Class V: "Surge"

The entity is capable of rapid, tightly controlled movement. May sometimes possess the ability to teleport.

Class VI: "Shu"

The entity is capable of unrestricted teleportation, on top of extremely fast conventional travel.

Use

This allows agents in the field to quickly identify the approximate threat, and allows researchers to gauge the containability and negotiability of a Spectral Entity. Essentially, it allows easier classification of Spectral Entities. However, its use of it varies from person to person. The CoSMo system is often formatted as

Corporeality - Sapience - Mobility

For example, if a Spectral Entity had a Corporeality of 3, a Sapience of 2, and a Mobility of 4 it would be classified as

3-2-4

or

3/2/4

However, it is also correct to format it as

Phantom - Feral - Fūjin

or

Phantom/Feral/Fūjin

The Fourth House Program is a program designed to relocate Spectral Entities to a location away from civilians and under Foundation observance, that are deemed unsuitable for containment or negotiation. They are instead moved to a facility under Site-237 that resembles a Victorian age mansion with several modifications, including being completely inverted.

The qualifications are as follows:

Being logistically or ethically unsuitable to contain

Being logistically or ethically unsuitable to relocate

Having a Sapience score of 3 or higher

Having a total CoSMo score of 13 or less

Not being an immediate threat to Foundation employees or objectives.

The Fourth House Program has over forty (40) resident SEs at any time, with 15 being permanent residents. Temporary residents are relocated to a suitable afterlife and/or spiritual realm or integrated into the Fourth House Program permanently.

The Layout of the Fourth House

Footnotes

1. the Alliance of Native American Realms

2. Perceptional ability to make experience associations, images and other sensory information from tangibly manipulating an object of unknown history

3. Spectral entities formed from deceased individuals often have greater control over their physical remains. Often, entities will appear to inhabit a skeleton or corpse, despite theoretically having greater mobility and control over the world operating as a free entity.