Facial region of SCP-4715's skull after encounter with SCP-0██.

Item #: SCP-4715

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-4715 has been contained in the containment complex within Area 4715-23. Area 4715-23 is an underground compound located 315 metres below sea level at an undisclosed location within Canada's Stikine region, chosen for both its distance from the nearest city and proximity to LoI1-517-Sigma. Stocks of materials required for Procedure 4715-Waning Moon are to be maintained on-site.

The containment complex consists of two 20x30x20m cells, environmentally regulated in order to simulate a mid-Pleistocene climate, seasonally between -10 and 5 degrees centigrade. A central observation and security laboratory oversees both chambers; observation panels constructed from laminated ballistics glass 25cm thick with plate steel shutters oversee both cells from a vantage point across the top wall of both chambers.

In addition to visual observation, video, motion-sensing, and thermal security cameras have been installed throughout each cell for remote observation of the subject. Automated chemical deterrent systems are installed throughout every corridor in Area-4715-23, and will release concentrated resiniferatoxin2 aerosol spray should SCP-4715 breach containment. Aerosol will continue to be sprayed until it has been driven back to an acceptable proximity to the containment chambers, or until manually shut off by site command. Should personnel prove incapable of preventing SCP-4715 from exiting Area 4715-23, detonation of the onsite thermobaric weapon is authorised. Following this, re-containment of SCP-4715 must be carried out before it is able to fully recover.

++ Procedure 4715-Waning Moon, Access Restricted to Level 3 or Higher Personnel.

ACCESS GRANTED

Procedure 4715-Waning Moon:

Procedure 4715-Waning Moon is a ritual that must be performed on the full moon of each month, and requires the use of one D class Personnel3, 60 kilograms of red meat4, a hand woven wicker basket, and human blood. The Shaman must be anointed with human blood5 and will then place the meat within the wicker basket. No other personnel may carry out this task. The Shaman will proceed to enter the containment chamber holding SCP-4715 and place the meat on the ground before SCP-4715, arranging it so that it matches the designs depicted in document 4715-Waning Moon-04. They will then prostrate themselves before the basket and recite the phrase "This we offer for your continued torpor. Flesh of your time. Blood of my blood." The Shaman must remain prostrate and continue reciting the phrase until SCP-4715 has consumed the entirety of the meat. After consuming the meat, SCP-4715 may or may not kill and consume the Shaman, but doing so does not indicate a failure of the procedure. Should the Shaman survive, they are to retrieve the basket and exit the containment chamber. Failure to perform Procedure 4715-Waning Moon results in an exponential increase in aggression from SCP-4715, characterised by a marked increase in attempts to breach containment. To date, ██% of these attempts have been successful. The continued use of surviving Shamans has been approved by Area Director Roberts, along with reward, punitive and incentive programs among the D-Class population held on site in an effort to ensure the continued success of Procedure 4715-Waning Moon.

Containment chambers must be cleaned following the performance of Procedure 4715-Waning Moon each month. While this takes place, SCP-4715 is to be transferred to the adjacent chamber. During this time, any observed damage is to be repaired and other required maintenance carried out. With the exception of preventing a breach of containment, interaction with SCP-4715 is strictly limited to D-Class Personnel performing Procedure 4715-Waning Moon.

Unless actively attempting to breach containment, no physical harm or actions insinuating aggressive intent may be inflicted upon the subject or upon any persons within SCP-4715's sensory radius. In the event of a containment breach, all fire is to be concentrated on its head with as much force as possible in order to render it unconscious or comatose before it grows too large to re-contain.

Description: SCP-4715 is a large hexapodal mammalian carnivore with chimeric morphology standing at a minimum height of 5.2m and weighing ~2,300kg. Genetic analysis has been inconsistent, showing traces of modern wildlife6, as well as Miocene/Pleistocene era7 and anomalous animals such as SCP-████, [FURTHER DATA REDACTED].8 It has a robust frame and a vaguely feline skull, with a carnivorous dental structure, forward-set eyes, and a stout muzzle.

Of note are a pair of large, backward-swept horns, which are not present in any member of Carnivora. Its primary forelimbs are long and end in proportionately large hands with seven digits, each with a large semi-retractable claw. Its secondary forelimbs are multi jointed and significantly longer, terminating in three heavily clawed digits. Its hind legs appear ursine, and its tail is long and muscular, acting like a tripod for balance when standing on its hind legs.

SCP-4715 is highly aggressive, and has been observed attempting to attack most sapient life it has encountered. However, when observed in situ it appears disinterested in most other fauna. It has never been observed hunting or pursuing other organisms, and larger fauna avoids SCP-4715, instinctively fleeing from its scent.

SCP-4715 displays a level of intelligence roughly on par with that of a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), and displays a particular aptitude for the fashioning and usage of tools as weapons. This behaviour is not limited to primitive weaponry, as evidenced by its redirection of anti aircraft weaponry during Incident-4715-1944-J. Beyond these applications, SCP-4715 is highly intuitive, able to accurately read the emotional and mental state of sapient entities around it. In the event that SCP-4715 perceives an entity intending to harm another (including itself), it will rapidly gain mass proportional to the number of such entities and the intensity of these feelings. The source of new mass gained during these episodes is unknown. The most egregious breach saw SCP-4715 reach a height of approximately 24m and a weight approaching an estimated 56,000kg, but depictions in recovered historic artefacts suggest the potential to grow larger given sufficient exposure to situations of conflict.

This effect reverses quickly as soon as SCP-4715 can no longer sense the harmful intentions of others, and it radiates intense heat as its mass decreases. SCP-4715 has been observed attempting to draw uninvolved individuals into states of conflict in order to increase its biomass, and often displays fascination and attraction towards states of conflict between sapient beings.

SCP-4715's physiology grants it exceptional speed and strength. Additionally, it has proven highly resistant to most forms of conventional weaponry and physical trauma. It possesses reasonably consistent internal systems - largely indistinguishable from other large carnivorous mammals - but testing has shown that it does not require any form of nutrition to survive.

It is resistant to most toxins, both artificial and naturally produced, as well as radiation and caustic or acidic chemical exposure. Oils produced beneath the dermis provide its fur and skin flame retardant qualities, providing it resistance to temperatures in excess of 1,600 and below -150 degrees centigrade. The most reliable method of control appears to be lachrymatory agents9 and capsaicinoids, which it appears to have no particular resistance to.

In addition to SCP-4715's considerable natural durability, the creature has proven able to regrow significant amounts of lost tissue, up to and including limbs that have been lost in violent encounters. Repair and regeneration of injuries and trauma will always spread outwards from the central nervous system, and will take longer to repair the more significant it is; as an example, a forelimb lost during initial containment of the specimen was fully regrown within 7 days.

To date, nothing has proven capable of causing damage to SCP-4715's cranium, vertebral column, or central nervous system, and nothing has proven capable of neutralizing its capacity for regeneration.

Addendum 4715-1: The existence of SCP-4715 was confirmed by the Foundation in October 1916 following event 4715-WWI-1916, but there is evidence suggesting its origin dates back significantly further in history. Recovered documents originating from various Groups of Interest, historical artefacts and archaeological finds suggest that SCP-4715 has existed in its present form for the majority of human history. The following is a brief catalogue of selected notable documents pertaining to the pre-Foundation history of SCP-4715. A complete list of collected documents can be seen in Document-SCP-4715-HD07.

Historic Documentation: SCP-4715-19-R

Description: SCP-4715-56-R is a series of Roman frescoes discovered in a ruined subterranean Roman structure located below Istanbul, Turkey on the 15/5/1980. They depict a sequence of events involving Roman soldiers10 engaging in battle against Sasanian11 forces. The following fresco shows SCP-4715 engaging both forces, and the final fresco shows the Roman soldiers appeasing SCP-4715 with large stocks of meat.

Relevant Details: This is the earliest known modern depiction of religious behaviour around SCP-4715.

SCP-4715 as depicted in one of the clearer paintings in SCP-4715-361-H.

Historic Documentation: SCP-4715-36-H

Description: SCP-4715-361-H is the designation of a series of proto-human cave paintings discovered in the Ardèche Region of France on the 27/10/2005. These consist of imagery of SCP-4715 engaging in attacks upon humanoid figures, with many examples being surrounded by skulls and other symbolic imagery. Radiocarbon dating places the origin of these paintings at being approximately 32,000–30,000 years before present.

Relevant Details: The example pictured is believed to depict SCP-4715 engaging in an intimidation display. It is not known what this display was directed towards, as the cave wall immediately beside this painting had since been destroyed.

Historic Documentation: SCP-4715-238

Description: SCP-4715-238 is a large woodcarving measuring 5m x 2m x 0.4m, originating from mid-14th Century Prussia. It depicts 16 mounted Teutonic knights engaging in a cavalry charge against SCP-4715. This is one of the earliest known depictions of SCP-4715's size altering effect known. If the scale of this depiction is correct, it depicts SCP-4715 being 9.4m in height while engaging 16 mounted knights, which is consistent with the size change displayed in modern observations. An engraving translated to read "Banishing of the beast from the earth." is present beneath the image.

Relevant Details: SCP-4715-238 was originally sent to Site-19 via a courier service on the 05/12/1981, and included a note reading:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Knowledge is power, and we have observed your organisation gathering resources in order to learn more about the subject of this carving. Given your modus-operandi, we believe that in providing this historic artefact, free of charge, you may be able to successfully "contain" this creature and put a stop to its disruptive activities.

Yours Sincerely, Nigel Tissington-Evers, Marshall, Carter and Dark, LLP.

Historic Documentation: SCP-4715-379-B

Description: Journal belonging to one Wei Zemin, a Chinese farmer displaced by the Taiping rebellion between 1850 and 1864 who observed and sketched what he described as a monster emerging from a large pile of battlefield casualties and proceeding to move at speed in the direction of Nanjing. SCP-4715-379-B was confiscated from an archaeological team who discovered it while researching the rebellion.

Relevant Details: The following is a translated passage from SCP-4715-379-B

After the village was massacred and the soldiers moved on, there were many bodies still clinging to earthly possessions that could be of great aid to my family. Waiting for the cover of nightfall, the smell was even worse than usual for a massacred town, and it seemed in the light of the setting sun that the sea of corpses stretched as far as the eye could see. Then, from the tallest of the piles of the dead came a monster. It burst forth from the dead like a great fish from the sea, and its bellow was so evil it could not possibly come from a Godly creature. It shook the blood from its midnight hair, and fled with haste to Nanjing.

Addendum 4715-2:

NOTICE FROM THE FOUNDATION RECORDS AND INFORMATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

THE FOLLOWING FILE IS LEVEL 4/1000 CLASSIFIED.

Any attempt to access this file without level 4/1000 authorization will be logged and will lead to disciplinary action.

—Dr. Steven Roberts, Area Director 4715-23

++ Access Restricted to Level 4 Personnel

ACCESS GRANTED

Area Directors statement:

As much as it is the job of the Foundation to know all there is to know about the objects we contain, it has always been accepted that there is a great deal more that we don't know. After all, how are we supposed to explain how a box that plays with the laws of physics could possibly exist, or to know the motivations of an obscene and corrosive old man who hunts people for sport?

How are we to understand the origins of a monster that has existed at least as long as humanity? Well in that last case, a recent discovery has opened a new avenue that has allowed us to better understand not only the origins of SCP-4715, but also how to better contain it.

This discovery is LoI-517-Sigma, and has proven invaluable in not only broadening our knowledge of SCP-4715, but also in providing many of the current containment procedures implemented today. It is important to remember that without the knowledge obtained from this site, we would likely still be trying to contain 4715 with automated gunfire and having to withstand containment breaches every few years.

The following document is a brief overview of LoI-517-Sigma, including details on a number of notable artefacts pertaining to SCP-4715 discovered within the area.

Dr. Steven Roberts, Area Director 4715-23

An overview on Location of Interest 517-Sigma and notable items contained within.

Entrance to LoI-517-Sigma prior to securing the area in 2009

LoI-517-Sigma was first discovered by civilian outdoor enthusiasts in 2009, who later informed the University of British Columbia of its location, describing "Some kind of shiny bunker or Egyptian Colosseum in some caves lit up by shiny plants." While the university politely dismissed these claims, Foundation operatives were sent to investigate the area.

The caves entrance was located, and an exploration revealed a structure built in a large cavern deep within the system. Investigation revealed that this structure was a long abandoned and dormant entrance to an organic complex of similar construction to SCP-2932 located approximately 900 metres below sea level.

This complex has been determined to have served a similar function as the aforementioned location, albeit on a smaller scale and focused on the containment of SCP-4715. There are minimal signs of damage to any of the structures, and the organic devices within are alive and powered but inactive. A substructure at the bottom of the complex has been confirmed as once housing SCP-4715, and is constructed from indestructible plant material inscribed with various designs bearing similarity to those found in various occult manuscripts and cave paintings. Black chains constructed from an as of yet unknown alloy line the interior of the substructure and adjacent rooms, with numerous human and non-human skeletal remains still shackled in place. Several of these specimens showed signs of extreme bodily trauma, such as bisection and severe crush injuries.

The structure features multiple redundant doors and linked security features, all of which are inactive. Rooms throughout the rest of the complex appear to be focused on providing research, administrative and residential functionality, and show no sign of habitation. Throughout the complex are multiple images and descriptions of SCP-4715, depicting it engaging numerous instances of the original owners of LoI-517-Sigma (See Document Alpha-1596-1000 for more information) and other unidentified entities in combat in a manner largely consistent with modern observation, though some depictions show SCP-4715 significantly larger than any previously recorded size. It is unknown if this is due to the artistic interpretations being inaccurate, or if SCP-4715 can indeed reach even larger sizes.

Beyond those pertaining to containment, there are two notable sources of documentation regarding SCP-4715 located within LoI-517-Sigma that may shed some light on the possible origin of the subject. These have been translated from images provided to SCP-2932-A, who told Foundation personnel that it was unaware of this location citing its "Lack of omniscience."

Document 4715-1000-H40

Description: Document 4715-1000-H40 was found carved above the access ports on the structure comprising the containment chamber formerly housing SCP-4715. The text is well preserved, but sections have been rendered incomprehensible by large scratches obscuring the writing.

Transcription: [Illegible] lingering price of overthrowing those that came before. A demon born of blood and war [Illegible] the bloodiest night, where [Illegible] Children and Fae alike, indiscriminately. [Illegible] wept and watched as loved ones turned to light. [Illegible] and from atrocity was born abomination. Our fault [Illegible] Their fault. [Illegible] slaughterer of thousands, but was thrown down [Illegible] remain, incarcerated for endless rotation.

Notes: It is hypothesized that this information was carved into the containment structure as a failsafe in the event of power outage, rather than stored in organic devices similar to those found elsewhere in the structure.

Document 4715-1000-A7

Description: Unlike other documents recovered within LoI-517-Sigma, Document 4715-1000-A7 has been painted onto a wall in a recently discovered room within the complex beside a large organic mechanism with various interfaces. It is presumed that this device controlled the security or power of the complex.

Transcription: "The Day the Flowers Bloomed was long ago now. Our shining cities are gone. The surviving Children turned to beasts of the earth. We are gone now. The Children of the Sun have turned our weapons upon themselves, and they sleep in the night. They know not of the demon born from war, and cast aside any tool that could turn aside its fury. Endless rotation ends now. May the hairless usurpers suffer at its hands, and pay for their transgression. To any Child of the Night who finds my message, know that I have committed this crime to avenge our demise. You will not forgive me."

Notes: Along with this message, the skeleton of an SCP-1000 instance was discovered resting on the floor of the room with a hole in its skull. Analysis and radio-carbon dating of the skull suggests that the individual killed itself 34,000–33,000 years before present.

Footnotes

1. Location of Interest

2. A powerful neurotoxic, nocigenic capsaicin analog causing severe irritation of the eyes and respiratory system.

3. Hereby referred to as the "Shaman"

4. Sourced as per document 4715-Waning Moon-04 from wild musk ox and whitetail deer populations

5. applied in the designs depicted in document 4715-Waning Moon-04

6. including humans (Homo sapiens), Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and binturong (Arctictis binturong).

7. such as giant ground sloth (Megatherium istilarti), marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex), hyaenodon (Simbakubwa kutokaafrika) and cave lion (Panthera atrox)

8. Redacted data is available to Lv 3 and higher staff working directly on SCP-4715 research, but encompasses multiple anomalous and otherwise contained species.

9. A variety of chemical weapons causing severe eye and respiratory pain.

10. Believed to be the Legio duodecima Fulminata ("Thunderbolt Twelfth Legion")

11. Late Persian Empire.