recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
The Holder of the Blaze

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself into. When you reach the front desk, ask to be taken to someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Blaze." If the person does not instantly burst into flames, then you are at the right place. He or she will take you to an empty room with no windows and close the door. He or she will then take out a ring of ancient keys covered in the Language, shuffle through them, take out one that looks as if it is fresh out of a raging fire, unlock the door with it, and then open the door.

Through the door is a long metal bridge above a sea of flame. If instead there is simply darkness, then the object has already been taken by another Seeker. If there is fire, then go through the door. Once you go through the door, the worker will slam it behind you and it will transform into a steel wall. Now the only thing you can do is go forward. The flames are intensely hot, and as you go on they seem to get much hotter. You must walk for what will seem like an eternity; all the while, the flames will get hotter with every step. If you have Object 32, The Speed, then your journey will take about one year, but if you do not, then your journey will take at least five years. While on this bridge, you will not require food or water, but you will still feel hunger and thirst.

If you are able to make it through the scorching flames, which are so hot they would have melted your bones if they weren't mystical, then you will reach a large statue holding a chest containing all the world's gold in its left hand, and one of the most beautiful people you have ever seen spouting erotic things that he or she will do to you if you pick him/her in its right hand. Rest assured that neither of these items are a trick, and they would most certainly make you very happy, but if you wish to obtain all the Objects, you will give them both up and touch the head of the statue. The fire will go out and the statue will crumble to ash, along with the two prizes. You will wake up outside the mental institution or halfway house that you started this search from and a ring will be on your right ring finger with a gem in it, consumed with a raging blaze.

The ring on your finger is Object 249 of 538. It will give you the power to withstand intense heat, although it will physically hurt you twice as much.

This is effective for negating the heat of Object 344.
The Holder of Intuition

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Intuition". The receptionist will stand and lead you to a blank white door, but will not open it. Nor will you be able to. Return to the desk and wait for the receptionist to return as well. Repeat your request and wait silently while the receptionist fishes a keyring from the desk.

The keyring will have twenty keys, of various sizes, shapes, and colors. If you return to the door, you will not know which key to use to open it, and using the wrong one will freeze your body at the doorway for eternity. Return to the desk again and ask for "the final piece of this puzzle". The receptionist will ask for your forearm and slice a fine line with a razor from the inner elbow to the palm. The receptionist will then sit back down and will fall totally silent, responding only to one question, "How will I find the truth?"

He or she will respond, "Though the truth is elusive, you will now be helped in finding it," and disappear.

You will glance down at the cut and find that it is now glowing the most brilliant white. Startled, you will drop the keys and the glow will vanish. On picking up the keys again, you will find that the white glow returns only when you hold the correct key. If you can maintain your composure after this, move on and use the key to open the door. Pass through the door and you will find yourself in a circular white room with twenty more doors. Point at each of the doors in turn, and your cut will glow the same brilliant white when pointing at the correct door. Take that door (the others lead to a trapdoor to an eternal fall) and you will be at the desk again, but a woman in a red coat will be sitting at the desk in place of the receptionist. She will ask for your forearm and rub her index and middle finger along the cut. It will glow strongly to your touch and you will feel a sensation of cold so overpowering that you'd prefer to have it lit aflame. Make no move, however extreme the sensations; simply stand there, as still as you can be, until she is done, at which point she will turn and leave the room. Do not follow her, or your quest so far will be for naught as you will die an unimaginably painful death.

Looking back to the desk, you will find a slip of paper that the woman has left behind. Picking it up, you will read, "Whenever you find yourself lost, you will again be pointed in the right direction."

Your path finding cut is Object 106 of 538. May it point you the correct way when you need it the most.
The Holder of Imminence

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house in you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Imminence". The attendant would give you a puzzled look. If she doesn't and calls for security, then pray that your death would not involve long years of torture before meeting your untimely end. Knock on the wooden table twice and close your eyes. You will feel as though ten people are holding and carrying your body around the institution.

Open your eyes after exactly 10 seconds after they let you down because the sight of the creature who held you will forever be etched in your mind and drive you into insanity. After opening your eyes, you will see that your clothes are bloodied and you are in a small square cell whose only source of light, a light bulb, flickers above you dripping with blood.

The walls of the room are decorated by the corpses of humans whom you can't even distinguish whether they're men or women since they are horribly disfigured. Protruding from the dead bodies are their inhumanely bent bones which pass through their heads and chests showing the disemboweled hearts and brains of these poor people.

Across the room, if you still bear your humanity with you, you will see a man attached to the wall by the means of bones nailed through his body. He will not answer to anything you say except, "Is this the right path?" You must ask him this during the time the light bulb flickers into darkness for that one measly second determines your fate. If not successful, and you asked him that during the flicker of light, he will be unbound and your fate for eternity is the pain of bones protruding your body in ways unimaginable and you'll be added to His collection.

However, if you were successful, the holder will speak in the voice of someone whom you have always loved. That voice will tell you the paths of all the Seekers before you and if you aren't driven insane by their stories and their gruesome ends, the entity before you will be consumed by the now animated bodies of the corpses encasing the room. You will see him devoured by the very bloodied bodies He had tortured for eons. After the feast, the bodies will look at you and will disintegrate into dust. In place of the Holder's body, you will find a looking glass.

That looking glass is object 304 of 538. It shows the path of the worthy.
The Holder of the Living Unborn

In any city, in any country, enter the closest hospital to you. At the front desk ask to see someone called 'The Holder Of The Living Unborn.' The woman behind the desk will begin to weep and immediately call security to have you escorted from the building. You must ask to see the holder three more times. Only then will she call off the guards and ask you to follow her.

She will take you to an elevator. When the doors open she will push you inside but will not get in herself. She will open a hidden panel and press a button within it. She will leave the elevator and watch you as the doors close. As the doors quickly close you see a tear of blood fall from her eye.

The elevator will begin to rise. It will go higher then you ever thought possible. The elevator takes so long to go up, yet it moves so fast, you swore it would be taking you to the moon. But then it stops suddenly and the doors open.

Ahead of you is a decaying stone hallway. The ceiling has gaping holes in it and the sun shines in illuminating the filth and rot that has taken hold of this place. As you walk down the hall you must keep your eyes focused on the door ahead. If you should gaze into a room off to the side, you will instantly have your soul torn from your body.

When you reach the door it will open on it's own. The only light in the room will come from an EKG Meter. In the corner will be crouching a naked woman. She will stand up and her inner thighs will be covered in blood. In her fist is a piece of paper.

The question you must ask is "Why did it leave?" Any other question will be answered by the sound of your death.

The naked woman will tell you the following story.

A woman was nine months pregnant. The doctors said the baby would arrive soon. She felt the onset of labor pains and went to the hospital.

The nurses listened to the baby's heartbeat. They began to hear a voice. "As you are no doubt expecting, I shall be leaving my mother's womb soon."

Everyone was astonished but no one said a word. What would the baby say next? It began to talk.

"For the past nine months I have been sitting here inside my mother and listening to the world outside. Your world seems a horrible place. Wars, greed, corruption and so on. Why would anyone want to be born into it? I have decided that I don't want to. I am leaving my mother's womb."

As the doctors waited for the baby to come out, the mothers stomach began to deflate. Nothing ever came out of her body. The baby just disappeared. They examined inside of the mother and found a note. The note read:

"Do not follow me."

The naked woman will hand you the piece of paper in her hand. It is the baby's note.

The Note is Object 427 of 538. Do not lose it.
The Holder of Health

In any city, in any country, go to any hospital emergency room you can get yourself into. Wait for an ambulance to arrive and unload its patient. As long as the patient is alive, no matter how mangled he may be, ask him to see "The Holder of Health". Should the patient you're talking to die at any time during or after you've asked to see the Holder, the object you're after is no longer there. Run for your insignificant life, and do not stop until the sun rises the next morning. The medical interns have lost their patient, and are eager to find someone else to treat.

If the Object you seek is still there, the patient will go into a massive seizure, and the medical staff accompanying him in the ambulance will try to save him. The patient will thrash violently, disemboweling the EMTs working on him using whatever is at hand. During this time, you must not move from your current position or the patient will come for you next. Once the patient has done away with his victims, you must ask one question, lest you be maimed for eternity: "What was the price for longevity?" The patient will then tell a horrific story, a story showing every malpractice, every accident, every excuse and every experiment in medical history that helped to bring about the convenience people enjoy today. He will then explain the true price of convenience, that sacrifice and convenience go together as do day and night; that the greater the convenience one wants, the greater the sacrifice one must give.

If your sanity is intact after his horrific story you must react fast as the patient will lose his patience and lunge towards you. Grab for the syringe that has appeared beside you and stab it into his head, or what's left of it. He will soon die and you must extract a liquid that comes from his head.

This syringe will never run out of the liquid inside it and will not extract anything else. Injecting yourself with some of this viscous substance will give you demonic strength for a certain time, depending on how much you use. Beware, however, for the liquid concentrates itself from the life force of the people you care about most.

The syringe is Object 122 of 538. You now know the price. It is up to you to decide whether you can afford it or not.
The Holder of The Cipher

Enter a library in any country, in any town, and approach a librarian. Present to them any of the books that describe the Objects and ask if they know the meaning of its contents. If they recoil in horror, then you have found one who knows of the Holder of the Cipher. The Holder of the Cipher hides in the emptiest part of the library, behind stacks and stacks of unread books. Wander around, browsing, all the while searching for the dark, secluded corner you desire. The light will remain constant throughout until you encounter a child with a heavy book with a yellow cover. From this point on you follow the designed path, and cannot stray or turn back until you have finished what you started.

The child will pronounce himself as the Keeper of the Cipher. Ignore him and continue. Not long after, an identical child with a book bound in blue will approach you and declare himself the Guardian of the Cipher. Ignore him and move on. At this point the lights will dim and a third child, identical to the others save for the crimson book in his arms, shall state that he is the Patron of the Cipher. Stand still, and the other two will join you. The three children will form a triangle around you. The lights will flare brightly, but will not blind you. You must not acknowledge the children, but neither may you take your eyes off of the Patron.

When the light subsides, the Keeper will be an old man, the Patron will be a young man, and the Guardian will be a young woman. In the arms of the young woman is the child that once held the three books. The books themselves have come together into one white book. The voice of the child will enter your mind, seeking a question. The question can only be found in one of the volumes about the Objects. If satisfied, then it shall walk over to you, grasp your hand, and lead you out of its realm. If not, then the Keeper, Guardian, and Patron will also enter your mind and tear it apart from the inside as the world around you turns dark. Once this happens, you will join those protecting the child.

If the child leads you out, you shall soon find yourself outside the library you used to enter. Glowing a pure white, the child will fade, and the light will become a pair of glasses. Wear them, and see the truth of whatever is before your eyes.

The glasses are Object 454 of 538. To wear them is to seal your fate.
The Holder of the Tower

In any city, in any country, go to any high security prison you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Tower". Almost immediately, the guards will arrest you and admit you to the prison on death row without a trial. Your cell with the other death row inmates will be on the bottom level underground. Do not leave the cell. Do not eat any food or drink any water. Doing so would submit your inevitable doom on death row and lead to tortures best not written down. Stay awake as long as you can without sleeping. When your body collapses from exhaustion, you will fall into a dreamless sleep. When you awaken, your cell will be open, and the prison will be filled with a very thick fog. Walk out of the cell and go straight. It will soon become obvious that you are no longer in the prison; the cell behind you will quickly fade back into the fog.

The shape of a large building will signal your arrival. Drawing closer reveals that it is leaning ever so slightly to the side, and a large portion of it is actually buried into the ground you walk on. Despite part of it being entombed in the earth, the top is shrouded in fog and is impossible to see. Find a window and climb in; the door is buried below you, and unusable. There will be a nicely dressed old man waiting inside. He will greet you and begin to walk; the inside will be pitch black save for a small sphere of light emanating from a candle the man holds. Follow him and ask. "Where were they separated?"

He will tell you in articulated detail the cruel story about the unforeseen separation of all the Objects. The horrors described are unfit for human words. Imagery crawls into your mind like an urchin into your ear as he tells you the tale of the tower where they were separated to end it all. He will go on to reminisce, in a horrific reverie, what happened to the place they were separated. You cannot interrupt him, and you must stay within his small sphere of light, for it is all that keeps the darkness away. Unrelenting terror hungers there. When he finishes, you both will arrive at a room. In the room will be a bloodied guillotine. The man will turn around and pull out a pocket watch. He will look at it, and tell you that it is time.

The pocket watch is Object 100 of 538. It will forever count down the days to damnation or salvation. The choice is yours.
The Holder of Trajectory

In any country, go to any area where archery is practiced. Rent a bow, and ask for the one on the bottom row, third last one to the right. With it you will receive fourteen arrows. All of them, except for one, should be fletched with yellow and white feathers. The odd one out will be fletched with black.

Proceed to fire your arrows, but do not ever use the black one. You may continue shooting well past closing time; you will not be interrupted by anyone. As night falls, nock an arrow on your string; fire it just as the last sliver of sun sinks below the horizon. No matter your skill, no matter you eyesight, the arrow will be a perfect bullseye.

At that instant, a wave of black and violet fog will erupt from the target, and will form a ring with a diameter that encompasses seven targets, including yours. When it fades, you'll see that where it once sat in a wide plain, or at the edge of a forest, the range is now located at the top of a dirt-capped plateau.

It's advised that you move from the middle of the range, as an arrow will be headed directly towards you. The owner of the arrow is a young woman, someone who looks to be a year younger than yourself. Her flaming red hair whips straight back as if a wind blows straight into her face. In her hands she holds a bow carved from blue wood. Over her right eye she wears a white eye patch, marked with a symbol similar to the one on your eye.

She'll beckon you over, and challenge you to a contest of marksmanship. How you do on your first two shots is not important. When you nock the third arrow, a large beast-like demon will vault over the edge of the plateau. Releasing the shot will fire it straight through its head. It will be a drop in the ocean, though, as the one beast will be followed by thousands of others just like it.

Before the first wave hits the ground, grab the archer around the waist, and kiss her as if it was the last thing you could do before you die; it's highly likely that it will be.

Time will stop. The beast demons will hang in mid air. As soon as you break contact with her, ask her, "Who is among my allies?" Her answer will come in the form of a story that details every shadow-cloaked assassination in human history. At the end she will take off her eye patch, and hand it to you; you'll see that, lodged in her right eye is a twisted iron arrow head, blood pouring from the wound as if it was fresh.

You should knock your black arrow, as she is knocking an identical, white one. Stand back to back, aiming towards the frozen mass of demons, and at the same time, fire.

The resulting white-wash explosion will knock you out, and you'll wake up in the bed of the place you call home.

Over your right eye will be the eye patch.

That eye patch is Object 179 of 538. Wearing it will reveal to you who your allies truly are.
The Holder of the Cycle

Seeker, if you've managed to make it this far, you should have noticed by now a certain theme that resurfaces in several of the Holders' instructions. If you've been paying close attention, you'll have realized that the Objects have been brought together at least once before, if not more than that. Yet, look around you. The world looks no worse for wear, right?

Hopefully you've realized what this means.

Go ahead and bring them together. Wreak havoc as you see fit. But somehow, inevitably, the natural order of the universe will right itself. All the damage you've done will be reversed, and the world will go right back to the way it should be. Sure, you've got your temporary gratification, but in the long run, will it really make any sort of impact? You'll die, the universe will suffer for a few millenia, and then something will happen that'll make it all go away. The suffering will end, peace will return, and the Objects will be separated once more.

And then it'll start all over again.

Think of it; is it really worth damning yourself and everyone and everything you hold dear, just to accomplish a task that, in the end, will reap absolutely no rewards? Too late will you realize that the prize at the end of the road was nothing but a cheap illusion, a trick of your own mind. Despite your "achievement", in the end you'll just become another forgotten name, lost to the unforgiving tides of time.

That being said, do you truly believe that you'll end the cycle? Will your reunion of the Objects truly be the last? Can you do it in such a way that the universal balance, to this point unbreakable, will be rendered unrepairable?

I certainly hope so, for only to one who is truly convinced that they will be the one to bring about the final reunion will I relinquish Object 534 of 538, a broken steering wheel. Just remember: being convinced you'll break the eternal cycle and actually doing it are two entirely different things.
The Holder of Poverty

In any city, in any country, you will find an area that is run-down but still inhabited. These areas go by many names - poor districts, ghettos, and slums. Find the one nearest your location and make your way there. Search around until you find a building of at least two stories with most of one wall torn down. Be sure not to bring anything of value in with you, save for two nickels and a penny. Enter the building at high noon through the hole - you must not enter through the door.

Inside, on the top floor, you will find an empty room with a foul-smelling and ratty looking man facing a small dirty window. Approach him quietly and whisper into his ear "I'm here to see the Holder of Poverty". If he does not move for five seconds, turn and run out of the building and as far from the slum as you can. Do not look back until you are far from sight of the nearest building in the area. Never return.

If he raises his right hand, however, stay in the room until night falls. When it does, he will turn and face you. You will notice that his face has been horribly burned and it will be hard to keep your eyes focused on him. Whatever you do, do not look away from him or flinch at his appearance. After a moment he will open his mouth and say something that sounds like garbled nonsense and point at the window.

Look through the window and the man's life will take place before you. You will see how he lost his money, how his family descended into destitution, how his face was burned, and every hardship he was forced to undergo to survive up until this point. Do not make any motion to sympathize with him. He does not want or require your pity.

When you are finished, turn back to the man and give him some form of acknowledgement. He will then smile and hold out a small and ragged tin mug. Remove the change you placed in your pocket earlier and drop it into the cup. Give him anything other than two nickels and a penny will cause him to sink into a depressed state, and no matter how much time you spend with him you will not be able to raise him from his sadness. Do this correctly, however, and the man will close his eyes and fall asleep. The mug will remain in his hand, the change nowhere to be found. Take it from his grip, but do not awaken him.

The tin mug is Object number 216 of 538. They must never come together.
The Holder of Panic

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. You must arrive barefoot with clean toes. Immediately scream upon entering that the Holder of Panic has arrived. The clerk will rush to apprehend you, but you must not resist, else you will succumb to madness at her touch. The clerk will tie your wrists behind your back and drag you behind the reception desk. You will find a trap door beneath the desk. Behind the trap door, you will find a tunnel extending deep underground. You must continue to scream that the Holder of Panic has arrived to keep the clerk in a state of overflowing fear; otherwise, once you are thrown into the tunnel, the door will slam behind you and forever remain locked.

You will land at the top of a staircase leading into darkness. Untie the ropes on your wrists with your toes. If you fail to successfully free yourself within the first two minutes, a cannibal without eyes will approach from the darkness. He is the keeper of the tunnel below. When you become aware of his presence, your eyes will fall from their sockets to replace the cannibal's, and you will writhe in terror as you are slowly devoured, inch by inch.

If you succeed, dive into the darkness and hope that the blind cannibal has not received new eyes from a slower Seeker. If he has, you must pry them from his eye sockets to pass by. You will know if this is the case if he whispers your name from the shadows. Only when the keeper of the tunnel is blinded will the path open.

Proceed through the tunnel. Laughter will echo from all directions. You must laugh in return and continue to do so for the extent of your journey. If you cease laughing even momentarily, the laughter will increase in volume until your mind is lost to the eternal torment of never understanding why the voices laugh. When you reach the end of the tunnel several hours later, the laughter will suddenly cease.

Enter the cave in front of you. A six-year-old boy rocking back and forth while gripping his knees will be waiting for you. He will respond to one question and one question only "Why did they fear?" If you are too calm for your voice to tremble as you ask this, fake it, if the boy believes you are too relaxed, he will rise, revealing a pistol between his legs. You will never escape the room, even in death.

If you satisfy his expectation of fear, he will tell his short life's story, and if you scream at him when he finishes, the boy will wail in return.

Your panic-stricken heart is object 422 of 538. Now it pumps both blood and destruction.
The Holder of Alliances

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institute or halfway house you can get yourself to. When inside, go to the person at the counter and ask him to see the one who calls himself "The Holder of Alliances". The first time you ask, he will smirk and go into the door behind him. Do NOT follow him, do NOT leave. Remain in your position until he returns. When he does, he will have in his hand a small piece of paper. Take it from him and he will then lead you to a door you did not see originally. He will open it, lead you in, pat you on the back and wish luck upon your unfortunate soul.

After the man closes the door, start down the hallway. It will be very dark and only the light from the door ahead of you will slightly illuminate the hall. It will seem only a few yards away, but will take EXACTLY an hour of constant walking. If you stop, even for an instant, wish that they will give you a quick, painless death. When you reach the door, walk inside to reveal a vast room with brilliant light surrounding you. A feeling of peace will overcome you, then the room will go black and you must feel your way through the room until you feel a doorknob. DO NOT TURN THE KNOB! It will unleash the beasts held within. Instead, knock exactly four times. If two knocks are returned, knock three more times. Then, the door will open and you will see a man standing surrounded by the corpses of people you will seem to know.

Slowly, he will walk towards you. If he runs towards you, turn and run the other way, for you are not the one for this particular item. If you are lucky enough for him to walk to you, look only at his legs until he puts his hand on your shoulder. Then your body will force you to look into his eyes. You will receive visions of all of the wars that have happened and that will ever happen. If your heart and sanity can live through this hell, you will then ask him, "Do they cause war?"

He will then tell you stories of the wars of before the world was now. He then will tell you something in a strange tongue that you will understand, but not know the full meaning. He will then lead you to a door. Inside will be a pedestal with a treaty and a quill. Sign the treaty and take it, and roll it up. Walk through the door you enter from and you will find your self in the mental institute you started this journey in. Go home, and never, ever open the treaty.

This is Object 510 of 538. With it, you will know other seekers, but they will also know of you. Watch your back.
The Holder of the Returned Hope

"They must never come together. Never."

*Dear Seeker,*

*This is a child of destiny. You may or may not know the story of how he came about, but I have little time to include all details, as many of the Others are after me.*

*Please take care of this child. I feel so guilty and terrible for not caring for him myself, but I am being followed, relentlessly, by a horde of terrible beings intent on my destruction (and that is just to begin with) and I do not want this precious child, whom I grew to love, to be in the same sort of danger that I am in, although I admit because of what and who he is, he will eventually come across Them.*

*He is known as the child of Passions and Innocence. This is his title; give him any name you wish, but he must know that this is what he is called.*

*I must finish this letter, for I have heard the first tell tale sounds that mean I should be on the move.*

*Sincerely,*

*The Holder of Returned Hope*

I am weary and disillusioned. I hardly recognize who, or what I am supposed to be. I've lost track of how many names I was given. Only one thing remains, steady as ever. This was a mantra, repeated to me my whole life. By the time I was self-aware enough to have an image, my parents disappeared from my life and I never knew who they were. All anyone would ever tell me was my title.

I was a feisty little one, as would be known. It was no secret even to me that I am vastly intelligent. Depending on who you talked to, I was supposed to be born years in the past to show them some of the advanced ways of thinking that I always showed, years in the future where I truly belonged, and yet others said that the fact that I exist right now should be important enough for everybody.

Eventually, I stumbled across an archive of urban legends, and was intrigued to see them. Somewhere, a Seeker of Holders has recovered from childbirth years and years ago, and may or may not want...its offspring.

Allow me to tell you about the visions. One of them in particular makes me fear for my very being every time it shows up. A man holding a strange object in his hands is staring me in the face and telling me a horrible story. Every fiber of my being is tempting me to look at the object, but every awareness I can hold on to during his story is telling me to keep contact with his eyes. I have seen several instances of this, and maybe four or five times out of hundreds, whoever I am seeing through manages to focus on the man's eyes throughout his whole tale.

I have met and dealt with several people and beings who know what I am. They have even told me vivid tales of Holders such as Salmacis, Vibration and Phlogiston. The Holder of Salmacis in particular disturbed and intrigued me, because it was a possible glimpse of my parentage.

Based on research that I undertook involving going deeper than these notes go, I was able to determine that I am object 394 of 538, the Child of Passion and Innocence. I know what I must do. Do you?
The Holder of the Neverender

So you haven't stopped your foolish quest? Pitiful, but to be expected. It is your kind's nature to continue on at any cost, to pursue knowledge while remaining terrifyingly ignorant as to its full ramifications. I know that I can not stop you. Even if I could, still more would take your place. So I will instead tell you what you no doubt will find out later, and through far worse means.

Enter any book store within your city or town. When you walk through the door, the clerk standing at the desk will look at you with faint interest. You must ask to see the 'Holder of the Neverender.' He will be utterly powerless before you at that moment, compelled to wander into spaces which neither you nor he should rightfully know about. But you will know of them - the door below the floor hidden by carpet, the dank and joyless corridor beneath it, and more. He will reveal all of this to you, and to himself.

After wandering about in confusion, he will finally lead you to someone else. It will be an elderly woman, or at least what you will sense to be one. Her skin will be free of wrinkles, her teeth a piercing ivory-white much like her hair. But despite her unnatural beauty, you will be able to tell how truly ancient she is. Her eyes will betray her fearsome senescence. She will be reading a book. Its cover will appear long faded, its bindings still in place but visibly tattered. She will read its contents aloud from time to time. They will seem cacophonic, akin to the ramblings of lunatics or war cries of some mercifully forgotten tribe. They are not.

You must tell her that you have been waiting for her your whole life. This will seem absurd to you, but it is not. You will realize that as soon as you utter those words. Upon your crushing realization, she will hand you a letter that seems even more yellowed and battered than the book's pages. You must ask the clerk to lead you back up immediately after-wards, or you too will become as she is.

Should you read the letter, you will notice something. Despite its apparent dwarfishness, the space within it is infinite. True, there are words upon it. But those black dots, indelible as they may be, are but small grains of sand in a boundless ocean of white. It is Object 111 of 538. It does not end. But in short time, you will wish it did.
The Holder of What Never Was

In any city, in any country, go to any hospital or large clinic that will permit you unquestioned entry. To the first person who offers help, ask for the Holder of What Never Was. Their calming demeanor will vanish and they will point to a door that wasn't there before, a door that will sometimes be in the middle of an empty hallway, or a door that leads into the ground. By the time you have examined the door, this person will be gone. Their fate is similar to yours should you continue on.

Entering the door will cause you to feel an immense amalgamation of emotion. Guilt, sorrow, and regret will flood your mind. Relief and success will arise as well. You will not know what to feel. Do not let this phase you. Anything you do feel will not matter soon if you don't keep walking. You will not feel like walking. You will not be able to see anything other than your own body; surrounding you will not be any earthly hallway, but a void that is neither lit nor shadowed. Far in the distance you will see a figure slowly tumbling back and forth in a worn rocking chair. It is a bearded man wearing jeans and a white tank top.

As you silently walk down the hall, a voice that seems like an old man will start to become audible. He is laughing, reminiscing about things that will not make sense to you. Do not ponder them. Do not ask him about what he is saying. The man will merely look at you and nod if you try to communicate with him. He will laugh and shrug. It is almost comforting.

He will only speak coherently if you ask him this question:
"How did it become?"

The old man will slowly stop rocking and stare into your eyes. Stare back or you will never leave this place.

"Can you feel it? Surely you have before? The regret? The choices? Not knowing what could have been?"

He will laugh. And sigh. And He will reach into his pocket and produce a seemingly empty vial.

"This is the world's collective sigh... the reflection of what is in fiction, in false memory."

He will sink back into his chair and sigh once again.

"Do you remember? Did you remember? You can't. You know. You don't know. It never was, is, will be."

He will laugh, shaking his head, quietly rocking back and forth. It will be comforting. It will bring a smile to your face.

You will be back in the hospital, lying on a cold bed. If you are lucky, you are in the morgue.

The vial is object 384 of 538. They must never have existed.
The Holder of the Dirge

In any city in any country go to the cinema. Tell the ticket seller that you would like to see the movie "Emerald Sky". He will gaze at you with terrified eyes that begin to water in fear. A single ticket will be pushed out, entirely blank except for the number 430.

Proceed through the entrance and go down the hall to the right. As you pass the numbered screening rooms continue on. When you reach the end of the hall, and are confronted by a red velvet rope, carefully duck under it and keep going.

A bright cheery tune will begin to resonate throughout the hallway. On either side the numbers will continue to rise, but do not try to open any of the doors. If you do such unspeakable things will flow forth to devour your soul that they will not be mentioned here.

As you pass more and more numbers, look for the number 215. If you pass this number and a red carpet does not roll out then sprint as fast as you can for the exit. If a red carpet does roll out for you however, it means that you were invited, and will be the guest of honor. At the end of the hallway will be the final room, number 430. Enter at once.

The room you enter will be as grand as it is opulent. Gold and crystal will hang from the ceiling, and marble steps will grace your feet. Sit in the front row, two seats from the end and wait. The movie will then start, with a sunny sky, spring flowers and grassy hills running along the screen. From the treeline a woman will emerge. She will begin to sing, a low, mournful tune. Suddenly the sun will be swallowed by blackness, the trees will wither and die, and the grass will erupt with weeds. The land will bake and crack, the sky tear open with peals of thunder and lightning, and then ever so slowly the woman will turn to look at you.

She will pace closer and closer to the screen, and finally step out. From a flat screen onto the stage, she will emerge, covered only by a brilliant white dress. Slowly she will walk over to you, and permit you one question. Ask "Why do they sing such mournful tunes?". She will then tell you a story of every wrong doing, every plan that came to naught, every jealous husband, cheating wife, lying son, or troubled daughter. She will tell you of every wrongdoing in horrible detail. If you mind is not shattered by the evil of the world, she will take your ticket and rip it in half, handing you back the stub. Take this stub and leave the cinema.

The ticket stub is object 430 of 538. Who will sing your dirge when the end comes?
The Holder of Vanity

In any city, in any country, go to any beat down hotel or roadside rest house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask for the room number of someone who calls herself "The Holder of Vanity." The person behind the desk will whistle and hand you a card with a room number on one side and a key taped to the other.

When you start to go up the stairs, you should hear the moans and thrashing of passion surround you, but you must not pay attention to them, lest you suffer something that would horrify even the souls in the deepest pits of hell. If the moaning ever stops, knock on the nearest wall and whisper, "Everyone is doing it; don't stop on my account." If the moaning does not resume, pray that you suffer a quick death, though that is quite unlikely.

When you finally reach the room that you are searching for, knock four times and say, "I have come for you." A male voice will answer you. Reply in a loud voice "The woman is what I desire!" If the man does not respond, open the door to the right, throw the key in, and quickly head back to the front desk. If he tells you to come in, open the door with the key.

Instead of finding a man, you will find a woman chained to a crucifix, whose body is of a heavenly, enchanting beauty, but whose face is the most hideous that any mortal has ever seen. She will ask you if you have come to free her. Look at her straight in the face and do not answer her, or she will make you her slave for all eternity.

The thing you can safely do is ask her "What makes them vain?" The woman will laugh a very shrill laugh that will shake the very foundations of your mind. If you keep your sanity after that, the woman will slowly tell the you about the things that keep their beauty for themselves, and how their vanity will end up destroying the beauty they hold so dear.

When she finishes speaking, pick up the rose on the bed without breaking your gaze away from the woman. As soon as you grab the rose, quickly close your eyes as the room fills with an incomprehensible force. When you open your eyes, the rose will be dead and wilted, its thorns still embedded in your palm.

It's stem is Object 214 of 538. The beauty of the world will now crumble and show its true nature.
The Holder of Imagination

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house in you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Imagination." The worker will stare into your eyes as if he can see your very soul. Do not look away, for if you do the worker will dive at you, engulfing you in a black shroud as you tumble for eternity through unreality. After a moment, the worker will lead you down a long hallway that seems to lengthen the longer you walk. Eventually, after what seems like hours of walking, he will turn around and run in the opposite direction. Do not turn around, for if you do, the walls will close in slowly, crushing you. After you hear his footsteps fade away, close your eyes and imagine a doorway, then turn around and open them. Where you came from the hallway should now end with a single doorway. If the doorway is in the shape you visualized, you have succeeded. If it is any different than you pictured, in even the slightest detail, you have failed, and should pray for a quick death.

When you open the door, you will see an endless, twisted hallway with many windows. Outside these windows lie the greatest fantasies and fears you could ever imagine. Do not look through them. They will tear out your eyes, filling your mind with the most terrible images of unobtainable want, leaving you to wander endlessly, tortured by what is not and cannot be. Continue down the hallway, staring at the ground and counting your steps. Once you have taken exactly 204 steps, look directly to your right - there will be an open window looking in to a child's bedroom. There will be a young girl that appears to be about 7 or 8 playing with a glass globe. She will only reply to one question, "Why do they need it?"

She will look up directly at you, and the globe in her hands will glow with a bright blue light. The light will tempt you, but do not let your eyes stray from the girl. Slowly the light will get brighter and brighter until you can no longer see anything but it. You will feel as if you are almost one with the light, when suddenly it will stop, and you will be inside the room with the girl. She will smile peacefully before collapsing. Quickly take the orb and dive out the window behind you.

If you wake up in the room with the girl, you are hers now, forever enslaved. If you were quick enough, however, you will wake up inside an abandoned house on the other side of the asylum, the glass globe next to you.

The glass globe is Object 204 of 538, and will allow you to see the darkest fantasies of whomever you wish. Beware; your new power will come to be a great burden.
The Holder of the Sun

In any city, in any country, go to any hotel or condominium building you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Sun". The front desk's phone should immediately ring, prompting the worker to ask you to wait a moment.

While the worker answers the phone, go to the nearest beverage-vending machine you can find and, without inserting any money, press the button for the first drink listed. No matter what drink is displayed, the can that comes out will be of plain, unmarked metal and will be hot to the touch. Open the can and drink as much of the searing liquid as you can before the worker hangs up the phone. If you drink enough in time, then you will immediately lose consciousness.

When you awaken, you will find yourself on a couch in a magnificent room. The ceiling is far, far above your head, and the massive windows not only wash the entire place in golden sunlight, but also allow a view of the city in which you started - many dozens of miles below you.

Seated on a chair not far from you will be a man who exudes healthy youthfulness. He will have just hung up his phone and will be eying you with a mixture of confusion and amusement, for you have rather suddenly appeared on his couch.

Sit upright and calmly tell the man your name and age, then proceed to tell him as much about yourself as you can think without making any direct mention of Objects or, more importantly, the other Holders. He particularly does not wish to hear about the other Holders. If, at any time during your speaking, the man lifts his phone to his ear , then your journey has come to an end.

If, however, the young man politely gestures for you to stop, then pause for a moment and wait for him to ask you why you have come to his room. When he again gestures for your response, ask, "Who kept them in place when they were together?"

The young man will proceed to weep softly at the question. There is no point in trying to console him; instead, stand up and walk to the only door in the room. When you are within arm's length of the door, the man will call your name. Turn to face him, and you will see that he is floating several feet above the floor and emitting a bright light that drowns out even the sunlight. Do not turn away from this light, and do not blink, even as you feel your eyes dry out and burn away. When your vision has been completely ruined, you will once again fade out of consciousness.

Upon awakening, you will find yourself in a hospital or medical clinic, your vision completely undamaged. The medical staff will be confused as to your presence, but ignore them and leave. Upon leaving, search your pockets to find something you did not have before.

The cuff links are Object 146 of 538. They yearn to end their separation, but they must never come together.