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SCP-8000-EX: Dungeons & Denial & Dysphoria & Dragons

⚠️ Content warning: This article contains homophobia, transphobia, mentions of a suicide attempt, attempted conversion therapy, and scientific bigotry.

⚠️ content warning

NOTICE FROM THE FOUNDATION RECORDS AND INFORMATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

This document was originally authored in 1982-1983, and as such, contains outdated and often bigoted language that, for the time, was considered acceptable. For the purposes of preserving the historical record, these references remain unaltered.

— Maria Jones, Director, RAISA

Item #: SCP-8000-EX

Object Class: Explained (Formerly Keter)

Special Containment Procedures: Individuals affected by SCP-8000-EX are to be contained for analysis and experimentation. Standard Cover Story L-95 ("Induction Into/Abduction By Cult") is to be implemented to explain their disappearances from the public. Personnel exposing themselves to materials that induce SCP-8000-EX for purposes outside of testing are to have their employment with the Foundation terminated.

The Foundation has set up the front group, "The Society for Christian Parents", an organization dedicated to discouraging interaction with materials that cause SCP-8000-EX, such as Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Empire of the Petal Throne, and Tunnels & Trolls. Currently, these efforts are operating at only 40% effectiveness.

Description: SCP-8000-EX refers to anomalous effects produced from interacting with fantasy-based 'wargames' such as Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu. Specifically, SCP-8000-EX refers to a form of cognitive decline wherein certain individuals who play these games cease to be able to distinguish reality from the world depicted by a fantasy wargame. This effect is most prevalent among men aged 15-25.

Documented symptoms of SCP-8000-EX include:

Belief that one is not human, or has thaumaturgical capabilities.

Seeking out cavernous structures, such as maintenance tunnels or culverts, in an attempt to 'seek out adventure'.

Cutting behavior (i.e. slitting wrists and mutilating legs)

Abusing animals.

Increased desire for acts of sexual deviance, including sodomy and public transvestitism.

Attempts to call forth Tartarean entities using 'spells' included in the Player's Handbooks for these games; however, due to the lack of thaumaturgical knowledge displayed by the companies publishing these games, none of these rites are functional.

Attempts at suicide.

The Foundation was alerted to the existence of SCP-8000-EX by GOI-5705B ("The First United Temple of Dixieland") following the deaths of a pair of young adults connected with Dungeons & Dragons. Using their status as members of SUSEOCT, GOI-5705B forced the Foundation to open an investigation into SCP-8000-EX.

Currently, one individual affected by SCP-8000-EX is in containment: 21-year-old Daniel Friedman, son of theologist Dr. Herman Friedman. Following exposure to Dungeons & Dragons at their college's board game society during the 1982 autumn semester, Daniel Friedman began showing symptoms of SCP-8000-EX following their return home for winter break, culminating in an attempt at suicide on December 27th. Dr. Friedman, a former member of GOI-5705B's congregation, had been a proponent of classifying Dungeons & Dragons as an anomaly; he transferred his son into containment in the hopes of understanding the mechanisms behind SCP-8000-EX.

Interviewer: Dr. Friedman

Subject: Daniel Friedman

Date: 01/17/1983

Dr. Friedman: Daniel, you're awake, good.

Daniel Friedman: Dad? Where am I?

Dr. Friedman: You're in a… special hospital, one meant to treat what's wrong with you.

Daniel Friedman: There's… nothing wrong with me, dad.

Dr. Friedman: Then why did I find you hanging from a belt from your closet?

Silence on the recording.

Dr. Friedman: We're going to run an array of tests. Some psychological screenings, first. What's your name?

Daniel Friedman: …Dan Trevor Friedman.

Dr. Friedman: Who's president of the United States?

Daniel Friedman: Ronald Reagan. His vice president is George Bush.

Dr. Friedman: Does magic exist?

Daniel Friedman: …what?

Dr. Friedman: Does magic exist? You came home with all of those books, so…

Daniel Friedman: Dad, that's… that's a game. I'm not deluded, I know what…

Dr. Friedman: Who's Clara Blackheart?

Silence on the recording.

Daniel Friedman: I-I don't know what you're talking about.

Dr. Friedman: Daniel, I don't want to hurt you, but the behavior you've shown is concerning. Who is this woman who you've written so much about?

Daniel Friedman: She's just… I made her up for one of my writing courses at school. That's all.

Dr. Friedman: You are very detailed about her, Daniel.

Daniel Friedman: What is this place? You're not a shrink, you're a theologist. Why are you interviewing me?

Dr. Friedman: You don't get to ask those kind of questions anymore. Something tried taking away my son, and I aim to destroy it.

Daniel Friedman: Dad, I'm still me. Really.

Dr. Friedman: I'm… not sure you are. You changed so much after only one semester. Something got into your brain, but that's okay. We're going to get it out.

Daniel Friedman: …oh God. Are you… are you going to lobotomize me?

Dr. Friedman: What? No, that diminishes mental faculties. We want to restore yours, Daniel. We're not barbarians.

Daniel Friedman: What is this place, dad? Really?

Dr. Friedman: Your dinner will be brought into here soon. I suggest you eat up. Have a good night, son.

Inventory of Items Recovered from Daniel Friedman's Room:

93% of a xeroxed edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook

53 pages of handwritten notes documenting the adventures of 'Clara Blackheart' (or 'Blackhart') in a fictional kingdom known as 'Macrona', alongside three other adventurers; Winston Wizardly, Rallis of High Morrow, and St. Roderick of the Winter County.

5g of marijuana.

Several works by H. P. Lovecraft, J. R. R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, and Octavia Butler.

A membership card for [REDACTED] State University's Gaming Society.

Size 20 women's underwear (both bra and drawers). Hair analysis indicates that they have been worn by a male subject.

Interviewer: Dr. Friedman

Subject: Daniel Friedman

Date: 02/21/1983

Dr. Friedman: Daniel, good evening. How have you been doing?

Daniel Friedman: I don't… I don't feel good, dad. There's something in the food.1

Dr. Friedman: Oh, there was an accident in the kitchen and they've had to use a different supplier for meals, is all. I've got a few more questions for you. When did you first start playing this 'Dungeons & Dragons' game?

Daniel Friedman: I got invited to the gaming club by someone in my computer science class, and… it was fun. I started playing.

Dr. Friedman: Who was Winston Wizardly?

Daniel Friedman: Mark Palmer. St. Roderick was Albert Rice, and Rallis was…. Edgar something. I don't remember his last name, he didn't show up to meetings much. Why am I telling you this? You're going to hurt them, aren't you?

Dr. Friedman: We're not. Did you ever do spells?

Daniel Friedman: No! Magic isn't real, dad. Jesus Christ on a fucking bike.

Dr. Friedman: Take care not to blaspheme, son. Why do you have a set of women's underwear in your luggage?

Silence on the recording.

Dr. Friedman: I have ways I can make you talk, Daniel. Tell me.

Daniel Friedman: No.

Dr. Friedman: I'm your father. Tell me what's happening!

Daniel Friedman: You wouldn't understand.

Dr. Friedman: Is that really what you think? Fine. I'll be back in a few days, let's see if we can't get you to cooperate then.

Note: Increase dosage of Compound-72 from 5mL to 10. I want him to tell me everything next time I talk to him.

Interviewer: Dr. Herman Friedman

Subject: Edgar Starkey, member of [REDACTED] State University's Gaming Society

Date: 02/25/1983

Edgar Starkey: I… must have misheard you. He ran away to join a cult?

Dr. Friedman: We don't believe it was by choice. We believe that something happened to him here. Was he involved with any religious movements?

Edgar Starkey: Not really. He went to the chapel on campus a few times, but… nothing beyond that.

Dr. Friedman: What about other things? Like, that game going around, Dungeons and-something.

Edgar Starkey: …you can't seriously think that Dan ran away because he pretended to be a barbarian princess.

Dr. Friedman: I'm just asking questions, Mr. Starkey.

Edgar Starkey: It's fantasy. He's not sick, he could tell when we were pretending. That thing with the kid in the steam tunnels a few years ago, he was… he wasn't well. His parents mistreated him badly. The game didn't kill him.

Dr. Friedman: Do you know if Daniel Friedman was a sodomite?

Edgar Starkey: …a what?

Dr. Friedman: A homosexual psychopath. Queer. 'Gay' is the term people afflicted in such a way might use for themselves.

Edgar Starkey: I …who did you say you worked for, again?

Dr. Friedman: Stop Cults from Proliferating, a charitable organization dedicated to doing just that.

Edgar Starkey: Maybe you want to take a look at your own materials, friendo. The fact that you'd describe a kid as sweet as Dan as a sodomite, or a psychopath, says a lot about you.

Dr. Friedman: It doesn't matter. We're very close to getting him back, I'm sure.

Edgar Starkey: Well, if you do get… them back, I hope that they're not stuck with their parents.

Dr. Friedman: What makes you say that?

Edgar Starkey: From the sound of it, his dad was a fundie nutcase who was worse at distinguishing fantasy from reality than any Dungeons & Dragons player I've ever met.

Dr. Friedman: …I believe we're done here. Good day, Mr. Starkey.

Subject: Daniel Friedman

Interviewer: Dr. Friedman

Date: 03/07/1983

Dr. Friedman: Daniel. Good to see you again.

Daniel Friedman: What are you putting in me, dad? It hurts.

Dr. Friedman: …we've been putting anti-depressant drugs in your food. We don't want to lose you, son. We're hoping it helps.

Daniel Friedman: I… I can't think straight. I haven't been able to sleep in… two, three days? Tell them to stop, please.

Dr. Friedman: If you answer a few questions, I'll see what I can do. Why did we find women's underwear in your room?

Daniel Friedman: They're… they're not mine, okay? They're Clara's.

Dr. Friedman: …I was under the impression that she was fictional.

Daniel Friedman: She's real. I met her at school. I think… I think some of her stuff got mixed in with mine.

Dr. Friedman: Why does the hair analysis indicate that you wore it, then? Did something happen? Did this game make you a transvestite, son? I have ways to get rid of it, just say the word.

Daniel Friedman: Dad, please, no. Stop.

Dr. Friedman: You changed after you went to school, son. I want Daniel back.

Daniel Friedman: For the love of— I was never your son! You don't remember, how I… how I tried on a dress when I was ten? How I found some of mom's old lipstick and tried it on as a teenager? Why I grew out my hair when I was seventeen? Dad, I'm not your son!

Dr. Friedman: …no. No. This is… this is the anomaly talking. 8000. This isn't… no. You are not a faggot, do you hear me?

Daniel Friedman: Dad, please. Stop.

Dr. Friedman: I'm going to make this right, kiddo. You're going to be better soon.

Treatments Administered to Daniel Friedman In An Attempt To Cure SCP-8000:

Treatment: Sensory Deprivation Therapy (12-hour session)

Result: Ineffective. Subject screamed for the first hour, spent the next eleven unconscious.

Treatment: Electroconvulsive Therapy

Result: Ineffective. Attempted to attack guards on two occasions.

Treatment: Artificial Testosterone Treatment

Result: Ineffective. After first administration, subject attempted suicide by striking their head against the wall of their cell over two hundred times.

Treatment: Chemical castration

Result: Seemingly effective; subject did not report any transsexual urges following this. However, continued administration has been deemed impractical by Dr. Friedman.

Treatment: Therapeutic exorcism.2

Result: Ineffective; subject showed no physical reaction to religious iconography or holy water. Subject's left collarbone was broken as he struggled to free himself from restraints.

Treatment: Baptismal immersion. Immersion was overseen by members of GOI-5705B.

Result: Subject struggled against attempts at immersion for fifteen minutes, and attacked a member of GOI-5705B. Second attempt was made while subject was sedated, resulting in them nearly drowning.

Treatment was deemed ineffective, as Subject still showed symptoms of SCP-8000-EX following this.

BY ORDER OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

Concerns regarding Dr. Friedman's treatment of his child in regards to their exposure to SCP-8000 have been brought forth by members of RAISA who have documented their interviews and attempts to treat his son. After significant debate and careful review, the Ethics Committee has concluded that SCP-8000 is not, and has never been, an anomaly; the behavior exhibited by Daniel Friedman, and several other alleged SCP-8000 cases, are the result of a combination of factors, including previously untreated mental illness, such as manic-depressive disorder, homosexuality,3 and Gender Identity Disorder (Transsexualism).4

It is the belief of the Ethics Committee that neither Daniel Friedman, nor any individual allegedly affected by SCP-8000, possess any anomalous properties. Dr. Friedman has fallen victim to the same panic that is affecting most of the United States at this time, fearing that he is losing his child to Satanic influence. As such, the Ethics Committee recommends the following actions:

Reclassification of SCP-8000 from Keter to Explained, and the modification of the designation to SCP-8000-EX.

Immediate release of Daniel Friedman and cessation of monitoring for SCP-8000-EX. Due to potentially dangerous drug interactions between Compound-72 and Class-A Amnestics, amnesticization is not advised at this time.

Cessation of containment efforts related to Dungeons & Dragons and other related fantasy games.

Removal of Daniel Friedman from the custody of Dr. Herman Friedman, as it is believed that he cannot be trusted with his child's well-being.

Psychological counseling for Daniel Friedman, provided by the Foundation.

The Foundation, and the majority of the world, were clueless back then about the role fantasy could play in leading a healthy life. They saw adults playing pretend and called them childish, sick, demonic, and deluded, when in most cases, it was the only way some of us could escape delusion.

In some cases, people have to escape into fantasy to be their true selves, and in that sense, the line is blurred. I don't know how many people I've met over the years who pretend to be someone they're not in order to survive, only for that mask to come off when they pick up a set of dice and a character sheet. It's… magical, honestly. That's the only way to describe it.

My father died in 1999. I only visited his grave a week ago, and I only did it at the request of my psychiatrist, because after the way he treated me, I never wanted to speak to him again. He never really accepted me for who I am, even after the Foundation tried righting his wrongs. In a way, I should be thankful. They gave me a roof over my head, kept me clothed and fed when I couldn't go back to living how I used to before being abducted, and eventually, gave me a job. But at the same time, they bought into the mass delusion that I was somehow anomalous when in reality, I just wanted to be me.

And now that I am me, I don't want to be anyone else.

—Dr. Clara Friedman, RAISA Archivist, 2015.

Footnotes

1. For three days prior to the interview, a truth serum known as Compound-72 was introduced into Daniel Friedman's humanoid meal rations.

2. A controversial form of treatment meant for treating mental illnesses brought on by exposure to Tartarean entities.

3. RAISA Note: Despite homosexuality being no longer considered a mental illness by the American Psychological Association as of the publication of the DSM-II, the Foundation still considered it a 'disqualifying mental illness' until the early 1990s.

4. Gender Identity Disorder was classified by the American Psychological Association as of the publication of the DSM-III in 1980. The term was reclassified as 'Gender Dysphoria' in the DSM-V (published in 2013.) in order to remove the stigma of transgender individuals being perceived as possessing a disability.