ITEM #: SCP-6909

LEVEL-

CONTAINMENT CLASS: KETER

DISRUPTION CLASS: DARK

ITEM: SCP-6909

LEVEL-

CONTAINMENT

CLASS: KETER

DISRUPTION

CLASS: DARK

Imitation antique (Shushen Searches for Weiwu) in the style of the Tang Dynasty, inspired by SCP-6909, created in 1991.

SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES: Foundation webcrawlers for keywords pertaining to SCP-6909 should to be monitored. Websites containing SCP-6909 should be taken down, and physical manifestations that are not in Foundation containment should be destroyed. Civilian subjects aware of SCP-6909 should be amnestisized.

Current confirmed iterations of SCP-6909 include:

Ni-Pur and Snefru

Vernon and Alexandre (see Addendum 02)

Takeru and Jinaya

Vagesh and Nirjar (see Addendum 01)

Shushen and Weiwu

Abayomi and Fawaz

Askuwheteau and Mingan

Copies of literature and art depicting SCP-6909 is stored in a locker in Site-168. Digital archives are available for testing for personnel above Level 2 clearance. All personnel involved with SCP-6909 should have undergone training to have Cognitive Resistance Value (CRV) of at least 5.

DESCRIPTION: SCP-6909 is a self-propagating memetic narrative structure, which typically takes the form of a story or fable. SCP-6909 is a textual anomaly, which alters printed material and digital files by inserting itself into the medium by replacing a portion of the affected works. SCP-6909 typically affects mythological anthologies or translations of folklore, and have been observed in many languages.

The narrative of SCP-6909 takes the form of a fable with a moral lesson for the reader. While iterations of SCP-6909 vary across cultural spheres, consistent elements of the story include the physical description of the two central figures, the description of the vanquished beasts, and the subsequent disappearance of one figure, and cyclical nature.

Subjects without proper memetic inoculation that come across SCP-6909 typically believe that SCP-6909 is an ancient myth that they have previously heard before, typically from parents or grandparents. The memetic effect is retained through various ways of reproduction, if key elements of the narrative is intact; this includes further oral or textual retellings, or visual depictions in art.

It is believed that SCP-6909 typically spread through textual reproduction. While visual reproductions of SCP-6909 have been found, this has found not to be a result of memetic compulsion, but merely a side effect.

While the origin of SCP-6909 is unknown, earliest record of SCP-6909 originated from the comparative literature departments of several universities, starting in the 1980s. The Foundation noticed this discrepancy when a number of comparative literature studies independently "discovered" a previously unknown story within several cultural spheres. As there were no historical text or art depicting the stories, and the highly similar narrative structure between different iterations, the Foundation realized a possible narrative hazard and discovered the memetic effect afterwards.

Because the memetic effect of SCP-6909 is non-hazardous, it has made it difficult to determine the spread of SCP-6909. Oral tradition has become the most common form of spread for SCP-6909 after the Foundation began its containment efforts.

WARNING FROM THE MEMETICS DEPARTMENT

Please do not read the following addenda without proper memetic inoculation and understanding of SCP-6909. Personnel of CRV of less than 5 are forbidden from reading further.

ADDENDUM 6909-1 — Textual Example

The following is a text from a purported translation of the Vamana Purana produced by Rutgers University in 1992, which contains the following SCP-6909 insertion. Due to the late discovery of this instance of SCP-6909, this story has been found to be spread by several families and schools that practice Hinduism, used as a fable used to teach young boys important life lessons.

In the valley of Vindhyachal,

the land was plagued by foul beasts.

There were two companions that travel the land,

Slaying beasts in the valley;

The Great Yoddha and his companion.

Their names were Nirjar and Vagesh.

Nirjar, the Great Yoddha,

was a seasoned and proud warrior,

of strength and skill of a hundred men.

Vagesh was his companion:

Vagesh carried the warrior's belongings

and tended to the warrior's horses.

The people of Vindhyachal cheered for Nirjar.

'Yoddha! Yoddha!' They called him, meaning 'great warrior'

Nirjar and Vagesh would travel the land,

the warrior slaying beasts while the companion hides.

When Nirjar collects the head of the slain beast,

Vagesh holds the satchel.

When Nirjar drinks and celebrates with the townspeople,

Vagesh sits in the back and watches.

When Nirjar beds the courtesans,

Vagesh tends and feeds the horses.

One day as the townpeople toast Nirjar,

Nirjar sees Vagesh quietly drinking in the corner.

Nirjar asks Vagesh, "My comrade, what troubles you so?"

Do you not feel the joy of the people around us?"

Vagesh replies, "Yes, Great Yoddha, I feel their joy

But that grateful celebration is for you;

I do not have the strength of a hundred men like you.

You lift up men and women with your bravery,

When they sing, they sing of you.

I will never have your strength,

Even though I have followed you for many years.

I watch your attacks and learn your methods,

Yet I cannot lift even your sword;

for my weakness burdens me."

Nirjar, the Great Yoddha, did not say anything,

but he heard his companion's words and understood his despair.

Deep into the night, as Vagesh rested,

Nirjar quietly took a small rock under the starry night,

and slipped it into his own satchel.

As the two travel the land, Nirjar would

add another rock into his own satchel every few days

Vagesh, unaware, continues to carry.

As Nirjar continued the vanquish foul beasts,

Vagesh would imitate at the sides;

As Nirjar talked during their travels,

Vagesh listens to his advice;

As Nirjar sleeps,

Vagesh practices swinging his weapon,

deep into the night.

One day as Vagesh washes Nirjar's belongings by the river,

a foul reptilian beast sneaks near.

"Oh Great Yoddha, Where are you!"

But Nirjar does not come to his rescue.

The fearsome beast leapt

attempted to bite Vagesh

Vagesh sees Nirjar's sword,

And in one swing, slays his first beast.

Nirjar, hidden behind trees, smiles

And empties his satchel of rocks,

Walks away and leaves Vagesh behind.

Vegesh does not know any of this,

and as he catches his breath he sees the slain beast's body;

as he has seen Nirjar do so many times,

Vagesh decapitates the foul beast.

"Oh Great Yoddha! I have been fortunate

Where are you?"

But Nirjar has disappeared,

Never to be seen again in the Vindhyachal valley.

Vagesh rides into a new town,

in search of Nirjar.

The people welcome him -

"Oh Great Yoddha! Oh Great Yoddha!"

"I am not the Great Yoddha," Vagesh said.

"If you are not the Great Yoddha,

how did you slay this beast?"

"I am not the Great Yoddha," Vagesh said.

"I am not worthy of the title."

"You have slain the foulsome beast," the people say

"You are the Great Yoddha."

"I am not the Great Yoddha," Vagesh said.

"I have only slain one beast.

I am looking for the true Great Yoddha, my friend Nirjar."

"Perhaps yesterday you are not the Great Yoddha.

But that does not mean you are not the Great Yoddha today."

Vagesh looked into the crowd,

Saw the adoration in their faces

And realized what Nirjar has done.

Vagesh raises the beasts head,

And the town cheered,

Clamoring for the newest hero.

Vagesh did not forget about Nirjar,

yet no one knows his whereabouts.

The land is too treacherous,

for even the greatest warriors.

A meek young man approaches Vagesh,

"I am not a warrior, but I desire to become one.

Let me be your companion, Great Yoddha,

And we shall vanquish the lands."

Vagesh sees the frail young man,

And knew what Nirjar would do;

He gladly let the young man ride,

Finally knowing why Nirjar disappeared.

The two set off into the wild,

the Great Yoddha and his companion.

ADDENDUM 6909-2 — Artistic Example

Visual depictions of SCP-6909 are also common, but there have been no known compulsion effect; most visual depictions come in the form of children's books, or paintings made for specific cultural events.

The following image is obtained from a Canadian copy of a children's book in 2019 ("Vernon and Alexandre"), blocked for publishing after the discovery of SCP-6909 influence.

+ Attached file

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SCP-6909 example.