Danielle Sawyer: | admit, | didn't even know 
about the whole world-ending thing. | just 
thought this had gone on long enough. 
Something had to be done about that damn 
house, and that cult holed up there. 


Interviewer: And there was resistance to this? 


Danielle Sawyer: Oh, like you wouldn't 
believe. "Oh, it's just our local people-eating 
haunted house. You know how it is, you just 
have to know when to avoid it. Oh, no, you 
can't tear it down, it's a traditional part of our 
community! That cult is a charming piece of 
local color! They've been here for generations, 
one of them's on the City Council, and isn't he 
nice and respectable? This is just a phase, 
usually they only sacrifice two or three 
homeless girls a year. Just give it some time!" 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: Sometimes | just don't know 
what is wrong with people. 


Interviewer: How many people were involved 
in protecting the house? 


Danielle Sawyer: Well, if I'm being honest, 
we're all culpable. | grew up knowing about the 
house, of course. It only ate a few people a 


year. Most of them fed to it by the Order. 
People always said it was okay so long as you 
don't go to the wrong part of town, or went only 
with the protection of the White Sun cultists 
there. 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: There were a lot of people 
who found it fascinating, actually — it was 
something of a local attraction. People from all 
over the world came to observe it, and from 
some other worlds, too. They called it "a 
symbiotic architectural hive-mind generally not 
observed in baseline realities." And the caves 
under it, "a portal to the True Dream", "the 
Gate of Horn", "the Pit of Eternity". | did a little 
reading on it as a kid, for a class report in high 
school. Never understood it as much as | 
pretended to, but | got an A, so hey. 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: Then the cultists started 
looking around for fresh sacrifices, | guess for 
the end-of-the-world thing people are talking 
about, and outsiders stopped coming to check 
it out, and a few less well-liked locals 
disappeared into the night over the course of a 
couple weeks... and people still made 
excuses, handed out more great advice. 
Jokes, like, just don't wear skimpy clothing, 
you know they like their sacrifices nubile. But 
seriously, don't go outside at night. Just keep 
your head down. And that's how it was. No 
one wanted to do anything at all. Even the 
ones who didn't like it, they said it wasn't really 
our business. No one wanted to be the one to 
make the first move. 


Interviewer: | see. What made you change 


your mind? 


Danielle Sawyer: Well, judge me if you like, 
but it was when | found out they were starting 
to target Mages. First it was some of the more 
otherworldly tourists, and then the particular 
townsfolk who started disappearing... | started 
noticing they were all people with magic in 
their blood. I'm not surprised, in retrospect, 
now that | know what the big ritual was. Rituals 
like that need magically rich fuel, so I'm told. 
I'm no Mage myself, but you know, | did have 
an aunt who was a witch... | started worrying 
about my own skin, | guess. If my aunt had 
magic in her blood, maybe | had a bit in it too. 
And maybe I'd be next. 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: So I'm not proud, but... 
that's when | knew | had to draw the line. 
That's when | started getting people together 
to destroy that House once and for all. 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: Anyway, | wasn't happy 
about calling in you Jailors. | don't trust the 
police and | don't trust you. But | had a friend 
who'd heard that there was a way to contact 
some friendly Jailors if you knew the right 
people, and then she told me she did know the 
right people, and... it seemed to be the only 
option we had left. You sure did get the job 
done. And | guess the world could've ended? 
So... I'm glad it didn't. Congratulations for all 
that, at least. 


[Pause] 


Danielle Sawyer: I'm glad the Memory House 


is gone. Still, though... | have to admit this 
town won't be the same without it. 


== SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM 
REQUIRED SIGMA-3/ANOTHER-SUN == 


The following after-action report, recorded with the local Sigma-3 
team leader, contains significant inconsistencies. Due to the unclear 
events of 03/06/ _, involving several localized CK-class reality 
shifts, all inconsistent aspects of the reports have been included. 


SCP-2975 After Action Report 


« SCP-2974 | SCP-2975 | SCP-2976 » 


SCP-2976: Hall of the Last King 


Item #: SCP-2976 
Object Class: Safe 


Secure Containment Protocols: All known extant copies of 
SCP-2976 have been accounted for, and are held in Foundation 
custody at Site- . All copies are to be contained in standard, Safe- 
class containment lockers. All keys to the containment lockers are to 
be held by the current Research Lead, with duplicates on file with 
the current Head of Security. 


SCP-2976 is not to be opened, read, listened to or in any way have 
its contents perceived by any members of the Foundation above D- 
class. Experiments carried out with SCP-2976 are to take place in 
soundproofed rooms. Any copies, recordings, digital scans, or other 
reproductions of the SCP are to be destroyed immediately after use. 
Any Foundation employee who has been exposed to SCP-2976 is to 
immediately undergo administration of Class-C amnesics, to remove 
the detailed memory of the words they have been exposed to. 


Anyone exposed to SCP-2976 outside the Foundation, but who has 
not yet been infected, is to be administered Class-C amnesics, and 
any evidence of SCP-2976 is to be removed from their possession. 
The same process applies to anyone found to be in Stage 1 of 
infection. Anyone in Stage 2 or higher will be removed to Site- _, to 
be dealt with on an individual basis. If infection is widespread, refer 
to Special Procedures B-14, in the addendum. Should an instance of 
SCP-2976 become infected by SCP-3317, emergency procedure 
451-Mill is to be enacted. 


MTF Lambda-Beta, ("The Bibiliophiles") has set up agents to 
monitor estate sales, online forums, and used book stores for any 
copies of SCP-2976. MTF Lambda-Beta is currently headed by 
Special Agent Kailen O’Reilly. Please direct any information on 
instances of SCP-2976 not in custody to Agent O’Reilly, at 


@ .SCP. Do not attempt to secure the instance of 
SCP-2976, unless there is a danger of losing track of the item. 


Investigation of SCP-2976 is undertaken by current Research Lead, 
Dr. Kenyana Ulaley. Any researchers seeking to test SCP-2976 are 
to provide Dr. Ulaley with a fully detailed plan of research, notarized 
by a minimum of two relevant members of Senior Staff. 


Description: SCP-2976 is a book written by science-fiction writer 
Harold G. Talont, titled 'In the Hall of the Last King.’ First published 
in 1932 by the now defunct science-fiction publisher 'Bewilder 
Books’, the book describes protagonist Tom Johnson's ‘exploration 
of a temple to strange gods, in darkest Africa.’ The story is rife with 
the sexist, racist attitudes of the time, referring to the native Africans 
as 'savages' and introducing women to the story purely for the 
pleasure of the protagonist. The ‘Hall of the Last King’ is described 
in great detail, to the point that critics remarked it 'seemed to leap off 
the page.’ 


Reading SCP-2976, hearing it read (by human or electronic means), 
lip-reading someone else reading it, or in any other way being made 
to know the exact words of SCP-2976, may result in infection. 
Testing on D-class has proven that the presence of other infected, of 
any stage beyond Stage 1, may speed up the rate of infection and 
development of infection. Stage 2 infectees that spend substantial 
time together will increase the development of the infection by at 
least double, Stage 3 by at least triple, and Stage 4 infectees 
increase the development of the infection by ten times the normal 
rate. Merely being around other infectees is not enough to speed up 
infection; effort must be made to discuss SCP-2976. For this reason, 
infected are capable of increasing the development even if the time 
spent together is over the phone or internet. Summaries of the story 
do not result in infection. Infection is a multi-stage process, as 
follows. 


Stage 1: During Stage 1, the infected becomes intrigued with the 
story, particularly with the ‘Hall of the Last King.’ Infected subjects 
become convinced the 'Hall' is based on a real place, and spend 
their leisure time attempting to find it, sketch it, or seek out others 
who may have information on it. Stage 1 infectees will often attempt 
to interest friends and loved ones in SCP-2976, to infect them as 


well. The advent of the internet has led to infected being easier to 
find, as regular web searches for ‘Hall of the Last King’ have turned 
up multiple Stage 1 infected. At this point in infection, class-C 
amnesics are enough to stop or reset the infection. 


Stage 2: Subjects initial interest in SCP-2976 becomes more 
obvious. All free time not spent taking care of themselves or 
ensuring their survival in some way is spent in pursuit of the ‘Hall.’ 
Infectees will sometimes attempt to make copies of SCP-2976, or 
scan it and upload it to the internet. Subjects report vivid intense 
dreams of the ‘Hall’, which seems to reveal more and greater detail 
of the architecture. While not all infected see the same locations 
within the ‘Hall’, there is enough overlap between locations observed 
to provide a basic layout and floor plan. The ‘Hall’ as described 
displays repeated abnormal structuring, with the dimensions, details 
and architecture being non-Euclidean in nature. Walls become 
floors, stairs lead to nowhere, and average humans who study the 
drawings can’t help but feel that something is fundamentally wrong 
with the pictures. There appears to be no underlying theme for the 
building, as modern, medieval, Oriental, Greek, and Arabic themes 
mix and mingle with no regard. See Addendum 12-C. At this point in 
infection, class B amnesics are enough to stop or reset the infection. 


Stage 3: Within nine months of Stage 2 infection, subjects will fall 
into a coma for roughly 2 days. Upon awakening subjects claim that 
they were taken to the ‘Hall of the Last King’, where they were 
‘showered with earthly delights.’ All subjects have used that exact 
phrasing, before going on to describe an excess of food, alcohol, 
drugs, and sexual activities with members of the appropriate sex. 
Infectees at this stage become obsessed in their pursuits, ignoring 
jobs and families to focus on both finding and fully describing the 
‘Hall.’ It is at this point that many infectees seek the physical 
company of each other, in an attempt to get a complete lay out of 
the ‘Hall.’ At this point in infection, class A amnesics may stop the 
infection, but any exposure to SCP-2976 will result in immediate re- 
infection at Stage 3. 


Stage 4: When 6 or more Stage 3 infectees gather together, they 
have a 50% chance of mutating to Stage 4, each day they spend 
together. Once at Stage 4, subjects begin attempting to build the 


‘Hall’ in real life. This is referred to as SCP-2976-Beta. While this 
would normally seem to be impossible, subjects are observed 
engaging in minor reality alterations that allow them to warp building 
materials to fit. Time and space within any such created structures 
begin to warp, mostly to the benefit of those doing the building. 
There is no cure for Stage 4 infections, as amnesics have no effect. 
Stage 4 infectees cease eating, sleeping and anything beyond 
working on building SCP-2976-Beta. A Stage 4 infectee must be 
removed a minimum of 9 meters from the SCP-2976-Beta in order to 
even be terminated. If they are not terminated, subjects will continue 
to attempt to build SCP-2976-Beta, even in the absence of tools or 
materials. Subjects terminated less than 9 meters away from 
SCP-2976-Beta continue working, despite whatever bodily trauma 
may be applied, up to and including dismemberment. Subjects at 
Stage 4 may create Stage 2 infectees simply by talking to them. 


As of Incident 5.7L, it is against Foundation policy to allow infected 
to progress to Stage 4 without permission from both the Head of 
Security and the Site Director. 


Stage 5: The Emergence of the Last King. This event has only 
occurred twice as far as the Foundation is aware. The first 
occurrence, Incident 1.11d was what brought SCP-2976 to 
Foundation attention. The second incident, detailed in Incident 5.7L, 
was triggered by a previous lead researcher. A stage 5 infection 
results in all humans within SCP-2976-Beta, infected or not, merging 
into a singular being referred to as SCP-2976-Delta. More details on 
this in Incident 5.7L. 


Harold G. Talont was a prolific, but unsuccessful, writer in the early 
part of the 20th century. Between 1921 and 1928 he self-published 
31 stories, the majority of which were in the 'gentleman adventurer’ 
genre that was popular at the time. All of his books were widely 
panned by critics. In 1932, he wrote and paid to have SCP-2976 
published. The publisher was a small, vanity press who seemed to 
have no idea what they were printing. SCP-2976 was seen as a 
major failure, and caused the publisher to go under. Mister Talont 
vanished after production and is presumed dead. 


SCP-2976 did not begin to exhibit anomalous activity until 11 years 
after it was published. 


After Incident 1.11d, MTF Lambda-Beta was formed to track down 
and contain all extant instances of SCP-2976. To this date, there 
have been 7 contained Stage 4 infections, 38 Stage 3 infections, 
and over a hundred combined Stage 1 and 2 infections. There has 
been only one Stage 5 infection outside of Foundation control. 


Addendum 12-C: [IMAGE FILE CORRUPTED] 


Incident 1.11d: On June 11, 1964, Foundation authorities were 
notified of a Keter class reality breach by agents stationed within the 
Chinese government. These agents reported that a branch of the 
government, known at the time as the , had 
attempted to force what we now know as a Level 5 infection of 
SCP-2976. Their exact knowledge of SCP-2976 and how they 
discovered its anomalous effects was destroyed in the controlled 
nuclear detonation they used to prevent the spread of SCP-2976- 
Beta. The remaining members of submitted to 
Foundation authority, under section 5111.37 of the Belgium Treaty, 
and turned over all current instances of SCP-2976 in their 
possession, as well as what few notes remained. 


Incident 5.7L: On July 3rd, 1986, Research Lead Kent Hormen 
requested and was granted permission to create a controlled Stage 
5 infection at Site- . Infection of SCP-2976 was limited to 14 D- 
class, confined to a single, hangar style containment cell. Subjects 
were all required to read SCP-2976 multiple times a day. Infection 
progressed from Stage 1 to Stage 4 within a span of six weeks. 


While subjects were originally provided with building supplies to 
construct SCP-2976-Beta, three days after Stage 4 infection began, 
subjects were observed to have access to unprovided materials, 
including rare metals and weapons. At this point, Research Lead 
Hormen attempted to shut down the experiment through the use of 
on-site security. Security was provided with sound bafflers to help 
avoid infection. Despite this, all members of security were infected at 
Stage 4 within 11 minutes of entering SCP-2976-Beta. 


Seven minutes later, all contact was lost with Site- . All recording 
and communication equipment ceased transmitting at the same 
time. The last transmissions showed nothing unusual, beyond 
further attempts to stop construction of SCP-2976-Beta