Item #: SCP-2953

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-2953 and all fragments extracted from it are to be kept in a storage locker at Site-44. Personnel are to don gloves while handling SCP-2953 and its pieces, and refrain from direct contact with it. Exceptions are allowed for test subjects during testing.

Description: SCP-2953 collectively refers to one boulder with an approximate resemblance to a female humanoid and the fragments extracted from said boulder. At time of recovery, the mass of the boulder is approximately 45 kg. Chemical composition of SCP-2953 consists of a mixture of carbon (≈70%), calcium (≈25%), and phosphorus (≈5%).

When a human makes direct contact with SCP-2953 (hereon referred to as 'subject'), he/she undergoes the following transfigurations:

Lengthening of the coccyx, often protruding from the epidermis.

Increment in pheomelanin in subject's hair.

Abnormal hair growth throughout subject's body.

Elongation of the face such that a snout is formed.

Transformation of hands and feet into paw-like appendages.

Increased production of estrogen in subject, often causing breast development.

Growth of extra teats (up to four per breast) on the breast.

The extent of these transfigurations is the most potent near the area(s) where SCP-2953 has contact with the subject's body. Transfigurations are more prominent and occur at an increased rate in female subjects than male subjects. While not inherently lethal, health complications are highly likely to arise due to inability of the subject's body to cope with these sudden transfigurations.

Fragments of SCP-2953 (up to a total mass of 5 kg) were extracted by its previous custodians, the Imperial Japanese Abnormal Matters Examination Agency (IJAMEA). Most of these fragments were used as the main component in the construction of 108 frangible bullets, with the remainder believed to be samples extracted for analysis and experiments. These bullets were encased in modified 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka cartridges, which are intended to be fired from the Type 97 sniper rifle.

Prior to IJAMEA control of the item, SCP-2953 was held in the Seimei Gallery.1 Below is a translated transcript of a placard describing SCP-2953.

This is the Sessho-seki, also the corpse of Tamamo-no-Mae, the fox spirit who once had ill designs on Emperor Toba and executed on the plains of Nasu in Shimotsuke Province. Her vengeful spirit resides in her corpse and warped into stone. A man who touches it is certain to fall to death, overcome by the spiritual essence of Tamamo-no-Mae.

In the second year of the era Ryakuō, Shogun Ashikaga Takauji bestows this as tribute to the court of His Imperial Majesty. May it be proof of the shogunate's dedication in delivering justice to the pretender at Yoshino.2

On ██/██/1936, IJAMEA requested SCP-2953 to be transferred from the Seimei Gallery for a project codenamed Operation Dakki. Below are translated excerpts from a proposal regarding Operation Dakki, written by Doctor Abe.

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- For complete transcript, see Document 2953-Ki

The premises of Operation Dakki lies in two cultural concepts of the Chinese. In Saiyuki,3 spirits slaughtered by Son Goku4 will revert to their primeval forms upon death. For instance, a dead fox spirit reverts to a fox. Also, there have been countless anecdotes from the Chinese emperor's harem of adulterous concubines birthing foxes as Heaven's sign of their unfaithfulness.

Using the Sessho-seki as a basis, we will "expose" uncooperative Chinese leaders as "demons" to their subjects. Thereon, we can divert popular support to leaders favourable to our Empire's position. Without bloodshed, we of Japan shall adopt the position of "Heaven" to provide the mandate to the leaders of brethren nations and guide East Asia in harmony.

Previous incidents recorded by the now-defunct Onmyō Bureau cautioned the prospect of desecrated shapeshifting youkai reincarnating in nearby areas and adopt traits of those lands.5, 6 While the onmyō practitioners deemed it a wildcard, I assert that this aspect can be a benefit to the Empire.

War is increasingly an inevitability, whether it be to repel Soviet incursion in Northern Asia or to liberate the Southeast Asians from colonial rule. A reincarnated fox spirit can be another asset for the war to come, but we need not a seducer or trickster (which her kind are known for in both Japan and China).

Instead, it will be advantageous if the fox spirit adopts a form that can kill one hundred heroes – a form suitable for war. The so-called kumiho of Chōsen is said to be a bloodthirsty half-fox, half-human creature which feasted on human hearts and livers. That should be sufficient.

Therefore, we need not sully the Home Islands with the return of an enemy of His Imperial Majesty's ancestor. Instead, we will have the fox spirit reincarnate in Chōsen and become the evil spirit worthy of her place amongst Japan's Three Great Monsters and in the nightmares of Chōsen natives. And she will serve the Empire's interest, with sufficient coercion on our part.

With approval from the Ministry of the Imperial Household, SCP-2953 was transported to IJAMEA Fusan7 Facility. There, it was experimented upon for Operation Dakki. Below are a selection of translated excerpts regarding Operation Dakki.

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- For compilation, see Document 2953-Tsu

Yesterday, using a volunteer, we have proved that direct contact with the Sessho-seki has a positive effect on the toucher.

Today, we proceed to test the effect on a live human should a small portion of Sessho-seki be extracted. As expected, today's volunteer responded positively upon contact with Sessho-seki. As with yesterday's volunteer, he will be given relief off his earthly tethers for his troubles.

Tomorrow, we will prepare to test for effects if a small portion of Sessho-seki is surgically transplanted into a person's body. As with previous successful tests, I hypothesise the result will be at least similar.

With assistance from volunteers, we will begin to extract raw materials from Sessho-seki. They will be covered throughout their bodies while working on the rock, although their safety matters little if my superiors can guarantee the surplus from the Kwantung Army. Volunteers need not to know of Sessho-seki's properties, lest it promotes unsavoury thoughts among them.

Guards supervising those volunteers should be equally covered, so that no accidents will occur.

Extraction is temporarily halted. As predicted, extraction from the head has resulted in a psychic backlash which has incapacitated the volunteers and guards present with Sessho-seki. None died in the backlash.

Notably, this incident is similar to a successful execution of a so-called "Semitic solar deity" by the Germans during the 1800s. This is certainly interesting, and can be presented as evidence of the divinity of the fox spirit. Throughout East Asia, only we of Japan have recognised the divinity of the fox. Now, we have acquired evidence via the scientific method.

That said, it is fortunate we did not choose to have the fox spirit reincarnate before an Inari shrine. The Empire does not need two manifested gods; His Imperial Majesty alone will suffice. Besides, an actual manifested god will only disrupt the primacy of state Shinto and threaten the Empire's social harmony.

The facility will be on lookout for any possible leads to the fox spirit's manifestation. Once found, we will attempt to detain her, establish lines of communication and determine if our hypothesis is correct.

March 14, 1939

Dear Doctor Abe

We are pleased to hear your many findings and results on Operation Dakki. They are truly useful as evidence of Japan's cultural supremacy in Asia, which would certainly please His Imperial Majesty.

However, if I may recall this operation's objectives, it was to encourage cooperation among the Chinese leadership. Surely you would know that the Imperial Army has already captured both Nanking and Wuhan, and is confident that the Nationalist Party will be pacified when Chongqing falls. After which, the remaining warlords will surely submit to the Empire and there will be favourable cooperation among all parties in China – precisely the objectives of Operation Dakki, but soon to be realised.

Therefore, the High Command has decided to shut down Operation Dakki until further notice. It is a pity truly, but the bullets that could be forged from Sessho-seki are but a drop of water before the massive flood of the Imperial Army's gunpowder.

Regarding the fox spirit, notify General Nura of the Youkai Battalion when you have located her.

Sincerely,

General Kurata M.

All pieces of SCP-2953 were recovered from IJAMEA Fusan Facility on ██/██/1945, following Japan's surrender in World War II.

Document 2953-Ne

Abstract: Additional documents re: Entity "Tamamo-no-Mae". Despite its supposed origin as a byproduct of SCP-2953, the Foundation has not independently verified or disproved the postulation.

IJAMEA High Command claimed that it has not received any documentation regarding the acquisition of Entity "Tamamo-no-Mae" and denied that the organisation ever had possession of it. However, documents from IJAMEA Fusan Facility suggested that it was successfully acquired and kept there until the end of World War II.

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As of 16 August Showa 14,8 a curfew will be called upon in the city of Fusan due to recent murders by a mysterious figure. The hearts and livers of all murder victims have been missing, and claw marks are identified on those victims.

The murderer is suspected to be affiliated with Soviet-backed separatists. Suspect believed to be armed and dangerous. Specialists from the Empire's Armed Forces have been dispatched to investigate the matter. All locals are to be respectful to the specialists.

All suspicious activities are to be reported to city authorities promptly.

Governor Minami

We have successfully detained the fox spirit. Given the current trajectory of the war, she will most likely be sent to China for Operation Ichi-Go.

We will be establishing lines of communication to her very soon. After which, we will report her to the High Command.

We have concluded our first attempt to speak with Tamamo-no-Mae. Sadly, she does not seem amiable for much communication yet. Nonetheless, I was finally able to behold her in my eyes. She was in human form partially, with her nine red tails wrapping her otherwise nude body.

As I stood outside her cell, her yellow eyes were solely affixed on me. The guards claimed she was looking at them instead, but that must be a matter of perspective. While she was mostly silent, I thought I heard she spoke something, but the guards heard nothing. The word spoken was "father", while facing me. Is she aware of my role in reincarnating her in Chōsen? If that were the case, it shames me for Tamamo-no-Mae to regard me in such manner.

Today, we have tested Tamamo-no-Mae's capacity as a combatant with the aid of several volunteers. She displayed her natural abilities and savagery, making short work of the volunteers. After which, we allowed her to feast on her spoils.

Humanoid-vulpine polymorphism 〇

Divination ?

Pyrokinesis ✕

Spiritual possession of humans ✕

Hallucination creation ?

Many of the abilities ascribed to her kind were not displayed in our tests. Perhaps we need to assist her in accessing those abilities?

Thus far, Tamamo-no-Mae is cooperative. Perhaps she is aware of her origin as a Japanese, despite acquiring the imagery imposed by Chōsen natives? With further acclimatisation and guidance, she can be fit for war.

Strange. There has been no response from the Youkai Battalion. I am certain that I have written to General Nura a few weeks ago.

A pity. It appears that Tamamo-no-Mae will be in our care for a while longer.

Tamamo-no-Mae still resides here. The Youkai Battalion must have been too busy to claim her, especially with the fierce fighting in China and Okinawa.

The Home Islands have faced the wrath of the Americans' new weapon, and the Soviets have invaded the Chōsen Peninsula. It is inevitable.

Certainly the Allies will come and take over Chōsen, including Fusan. The High Command has issued a memo to safeguard all abnormal materials to be handed over to our enemy, the SCP Foundation. But it shall be done.

Even if she has adopted Chōsen traits, Tamamo-no-Mae is still a Japanese. She is technically not an abnormal material. She should not be surrendered to foreigners.

When the Foundation occupied IJAMEA Fusan Facility on ██/██/1945, Entity "Tamamo-no-Mae" was not found in its supposed holding cell. Its current whereabouts remain unknown. A hypothesis from O5-██ postulates that Entity "Tamamo-no-Mae" has been contained as a separate SCP object, namely SCP-953 due to the latter's initial recovery at Fusan. However, SCP-953 responded negatively to any connotations pertaining to Japan.

Footnotes

1. A private gallery underneath the ruins of the Heian Palace. It contains various anomalous objects owned by the Japanese Imperial Family and formerly administrated by the Ministry of the Imperial Household. Following the end of World War II, the Seimei Gallery is jointly owned by the Foundation (via Site-49 Anomalous Items Wing) and the Government of Japan (via the Imperial Household Agency).

2. Refers to the Southern court, which opposed the Ashikaga shogunate during the Nanboku-chō (Northern and Southern Courts) period.

3. Japanese title for the Chinese classic Journey to the West.

4. Japanese name for Sun Wukong, a protagonist of Journey to the West

5. Onmyō Bureau documents cited in the proposal were dated to pre-Asuka periods or during the Genpei War, Nanboku-chō and Warring States periods. Due to Japan's political instability during those periods, most Onmyō Bureau records from those periods are believed to be of low historicity and often exaggerated from secondary sources.

6. Despite partial low historicity, IJAMEA maintained the stance that all Onmyō Bureau documentation are factual records of anomalous occurrences in Japan. Counterarguments to this stance were often derided as foreign influence to allegedly "undermine Japan's national integrity".

7. Japanese name for Pusan, Korea.

8. Equivalent to 1939 CE.