recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
The Holder of Conformity

In any city in any country go to the nearest school and ask the receptionist to see the 'Faceless Ones'. A look of surprise should play across her face, and she will get up to escort you personally.

As she leads you down the hallways the doors on either side will begin to grow more and more shabby and ill kept. A red glow, subtle at first, but growing more and more intense with every step will begin to permeate the world around you. If you should be stupid enough to look into the windows of any of the classrooms along the way your eyes will pop out from your head, your hair will be set ablaze, and your skin will melt off your bones.

Continue to follow the secretary to the end of the hallway. Here she will open a single door, and step inside. Follow her in. Inside there will be a classroom filled with students. Each and every one will be plagued with some horrible deformity on their faces. Noses misplaced, teeth missing, eyes dangling from sockets, skin that writhes like worms dwell beneath it, all of these horrors will confront you and more. But the most auspicious person in the bunch will not be the students, it will be the teacher. The teacher will have no eyes, no nose, no mouth, just a blank face. And before your very eyes the skin will begin to slough off, only to be replaced by a new sheet of raw skin, again and again.

The teacher will talk, though you have no idea how. He will tell of every lesson learned by man, of every experience that should have taught humans a lesson. He will then talk of how humans never learn, how they continue to follow each other much like sheep. His voice will rise to a horrible crescendo, at this point you should cover your ears and scream that you are different, for if you don't your ear drums will rupture, your brain boil, and your face horribly deform. Only then will you join the students sitting in the classroom for eternity. However, if you are vocal in your protestations, and the teacher is disrupted, he will reach into his desk and hand you a mask with no markings. Take this mask and leave the classroom immediately.

As you leave you will see that all of the children's faces have moulted, and two dozen sheets of skin now lay on the floor. They will turn once more to watch you leave, all of them staring at you without eyes, without faces, and without pity. Your last sight before you exit will be of one final desk, your desk, should you ever have the stupidity to return.

The mask with no markings is object 520 of 538. May it help you blend in where you should not be seen.
TheHolders Wikia

## The Holders...

In any city, in any country, there's a mental institution or halfway house you can try any of these in. There were 2538 of these Objects, but 2000 were lost.

The remaining 538 must never come together. Ever.

These stories have been gathered from various sources, many of which are questionable at best, but they all follow a similar thread; they tell the tale of a number of Objects, which, when brought together, will bring about horrendous consequences, details of which drive most people mad.

The veracity of the stories is always in question; this is how it is intended to be. Nobody really knows if these Objects are real, or if there are indeed a set number of Objects that exist in the world that yearn for a reunion with their kin. Speculation runs rampant; part of what makes the Holders stories so enticing is the possibility any person could go into a special institution, ask to visit a Holder, and be forced to undergo a test of power to earn an Object.

Some of the Holders have posted their own stories, adding to the mystery of an already eerie and unnerving series. This site is merely an archive; the Holders themselves have leaped around the fields of realm and lore since time immemorial, and the Objects are restless for their Reunion.

The Objects, while powerful and fearsome, lack the ability to freely gather together of their own volition, and so have called forth a need in certain individuals. These people become Seekers, their stories as twisted and damned as the Objects themselves. These Seekers have oft set out for three main reasons: to Seek for Power, to Seek for Reunion, or to Seek for Separation. Their goals are known to mutate and change them into villains and monsters but we can only hope that one with a just heart prevails over these foes.

There may very well be a reason that you have come across this site, dear reader. Perhaps the Objects are calling.

Will you answer?
The Holder of Candles

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Approach the woman behind the desk. If there is a man working there, find another institution; it tends not to appear in front of men. Ask that person, as politely as you can manage, to see The Holder of Candles. She won't look up, but you should.

On the ceiling there will be a number. Remember it. It will be nine digits. You won't have much time to take it in, either, because as you are looking up something cold is wrapping itself around your throat. Don't take your eyes away from the numbers on the ceiling, or you will be face to face with a horror that will drive you mad on sight.

After blacking out, you will wake up in bed at your home (or whatever you have that passes for a home) without any memory of your trip to the institution. Do not move. Do not search your room. Blur your vision and don't focus on anything. The gaping, mutilated faces of creatures and demons hide in every corner and peer out from every doorway, and they're waiting for you to notice them.

Something is lying in bed with you. It's small, barely larger than a cat, but heavy. And moving its way toward your face.

Don't look at it, turn and stare indirectly at a wall if you have to, but be warned. Even focusing on this creatures shadow will drive you insane at a glance.

Just as it begins to whisper in your ear, interrupt it with this question, "What will light my way?" If you are not quick enough, it will whisper to you in a sickly, wet voice every place it has watched you from your entire life. As it tells you where you were being watched, you will remember faces in dark corners and eyes peering from closets that you had blocked out and ignored, and they'll drive you mad with horror.

If you are quick enough with your question, what started as a whisper will turn into an unearthly scream in your ear. If you do not flinch, you will be sitting across from a grinning woman in a small wooden chair with a small table between the two of you. Her body is normal and draped in a white gown, but her face is stretched and distorted. Her eyes bulge to the size of baseballs, and her grin is easily the length of your forearm, displaying an unnatural number of teeth. Her head is at least the size of a beach ball.

There is a candle sitting on the table. You must give her the number if you can still remember it. Failure will result in her opening her mouth and as you sit there immobile she will slowly bite your head off clean, and you will survive being swallowed and slowly digested to death. If you succeed, she will show no sign, but will sit complacently while you pick up the candle and leave. Her eyes will follow you out.

If you light the candle, an image will dance in its flames and its light will illuminate the darkest of shadows.

The candle is Object 284 of 538. Never glance at the image, or your eyes will grow wide... and a grin will spread across your face.
The Holder of Remorse

Is this quest enough to sustain you? Is this accumulation of curses really worthwhile? Has everything progressed perfectly, with no loss or sorrow?

Not so, for me.

I once sought, as you do now. I know, more than any other could, the burden you bear, the enormity of the actions you have taken. And in the end, it was all for nothing. What has been will be again. What has been done will be done again.

You have questioned other Holders. You have fought them in labyrinths of fire and stone and whatnot, endless battlefields and pocket universes. Your weapons and allies have multiplied beyond number. But, in the end, whether you have the Blade or the Card, the Nectar or the Needles, you will face me alone.

All I offer you is a choice. The same choice I was given. If you decide not to make it now, I won't stop you. Leave through the back door, and you'll find yourself back where you started. Return when you have strengthened your resolve.

You may take my Object, and continue your futile scrabbling at eternity. Rail against the inevitable. Crush those who come in your way, whether friend or foe, beloved or hated, none can or will be spared. Lose yourself in blind lust for power, like so many before. Damn the world for its own sake, until even the souls confined to the darkest pits of Tartarus weep for what it has become. Let loose evil, and let it embrace the cosmos. Watch the stars die out, and laugh as the last ones wither, and all that is left is ashes.

And then you will reunite Them.

Or, if you have any regrets at all, if you have any remorse for what you have done, any shred of humanity remaining. I can make you the next Holder. Your hands will be clean of death, and the atrocities you've committed will never have come to pass. As the next Holder, your only duty will be to reverse the damage caused by the Seeker. A small price to erase a lifetime of pain. A trifling cost to save everything.

I'm no polygraph. The punishment for lying is the same as that of foolishness. You will have to live with the consequences of your choice.

By the time you need to find me, you'll know where and how. Any number of Objects may guide you. I have no reason to hide.

Object 519 of 538 is a ruby wheel. No matter how anything may try, it only turns clockwise. Some things cannot be undone. What you do with the Object cannot be taken back.
The Holder of Foolishness

In any city, in any country, go to any circus and ask to meet the head clown. If your request is granted, go up to the head clown and ask him to introduce you to the Holder of Foolishness. He will laugh, and ask you, "We're all a little foolish at times, aren't we?" Demand that he not mince words with you. He'll take you into a small, purple tent, within which is a pasty man in a purple and red jester's uniform.

Thank the head clown and ask him to leave, but never let your eyes avert themselves from the jester's own, especially not if you want to keep your mind intact. No matter what happens when the head clown leaves and ties shut the tent flaps behind him; keep your eyes directly on the jester's. If you should fail, turn and run from the tent, and pray that you never see another person's eyes again, for you shall return to this tent for the jester to wreak his vengeance on you for your mistake.

When the jester motions for you to speak, ask him one and only one question if you ever want the silence to break: "What mistakes have they made?" He will give you a one-word answer, but you must call him on this lie. He will pull out and spread, face-up, a grotesque deck of cards, which you shall see only out of your peripheral vision. Pick any one card, but be warned: you will feel every act of viciousness, every act of rape, every act of horrendous pain depicted on the card you draw. But whatever happens, do not let your eyes leave his.

Before you go mad, maybe you'll have the good fortune to draw the ace of spades. He will scowl, and explain to you every opportunity to destroy Them that has been missed. When he has finished with the story, he will close his eyes and look down in defeat. Allow him to do so, but do not let your eyes leave him. He will lift two pendants, one with a crystal of purest white and the other with a crystal of the most utter black you've ever seen. If you are in possession of the White King's sword, sever his head and take both.

If you are not, or if he has mentioned the quality of it (in which case, it will appear on the table between you and him), you must choose. He will explain that the white pendant brings great luck, and the ability to tap into the very source of His power for your own needs. The black pendant, however, will slowly erode the nerves in your body, inching inward over decades until you lose use of your feet, then your hands, then the limbs, and eventually you stiffen into a human tree. Whichever one you choose, you will be allowed to leave the tent intact with everything you brought into the encounter.

If you take the white one, you will have a great help in finding the other Objects. Of course, only a fool would choose the black one. After all, it's Object 279 of 538, and you'd better hurry up in finding the rest.
The Holder of Obedience

In any city, in any country, go to any school or educational facility you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls herself "The Holder of Obedience". The secretary will blithely write your name onto a list without having to ask for it, then direct you down the hallway. She will ignore you from then on, even if you address her directly.

Follow the secretary's directions and you will find yourself in front of a door to an office. When you open it, there will be another door behind it. You may well find yourself opening doors in futility for the rest of eternity.

If you eventually make it into the room behind the doors, however, then you will find it rather plain and unadorned. Behind the desk will be a woman wearing outdated clothes and hairstyles, her face caked with so much makeup that you may well mistake it for a ghoulish death mask. She will motion for you to take a seat, but ignore her and instead ask, "Whom should I obey?"

The lady at the desk will point down the hall from which you came. You will see that the many doors have disappeared, and the hallway has grown to an infinite length. Somewhere far down it, at the very edge of your vision, will be a desk.

Run to the desk; do not walk. Sprint with all the might you can muster. You will feel time slow to a crawl, and a thousand commanding voices will crowd your mind and drown out your thoughts. You must fight through the madness of this hallway and reach the desk before time runs out, or you will run ceaselessly until all time ends.

The moment you make contact with the desk, the voices will stop abruptly and time will revert to normal. On the desk will be a purple photo album with a strange design on the front cover. The moment you touch it, the woman from the office will appear beside you. She will tell you the full consequences of opening the photo album and learning the true answer to your question. The truth is far too great for any mind, mortal or otherwise, to handle. It is best to heed her warning and leave the album unopened.

When you affirm that you will not open the album, the woman will give you a hammer. Use it to strike the album with all your strength. Both the hammer and the woman will shatter like glass, and you will soon find that the hallway is once again that of a normal school building. Take the photo album and leave quickly. The next day, the local news will report of a school faculty member murdered by a mentally disturbed student.

The photo album is Object 172 of 538. To open it is to enslave the world.
The Holder of the Cost

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Ask at the front desk to see someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Cost." The worker will sigh, “sounding as though the weight of countless eons bore down on their shoulders" wearily exit from behind the counter, and trudge towards the interior of the building. Follow them.

They'll make many turns and take you down many hallways, more than should fit in a single building, before stopping and opening a door for you. Inside will be a rotting wooden staircase down through a moist, earthen tunnel. Begin your descent; the worker will shut the door behind you, leaving you in total darkness. Even if you have a flashlight, you probably don't want to turn it on. Keep your hands off the walls, and walk. With every step you descend, you will feel a weight on your shoulders. The weight should very quickly become a crushing burden, and it's a long way down.

If you reach the bottom without being suffocated by the burden, you'll find that the stairs lead to an underground rotunda, a circular room with a domed ceiling. Here, too, the walls and floor will be made of dirt, dripping occasionally. That's not water, by the way.

The ceiling will have a small round hole in it, through which sunlight will stream down upon an ancient man sitting in a luxurious red fur chair in front of a wrought-iron table. In his hand, he clutches a plain stainless-steel kitchen knife. Even if he's awake, he'll be too weak to offer any resistance as you take it from his scarred hands and slit his throat.

You may feel a stinging sensation across your own throat as you do so; take a look in the full-length mirror across from where the man died, and you may notice a thin cut along your throat healing over, if you're fast enough. Steady yourself against the frame as a wave of dizziness washes over you.

If the old man had been awake, you could have asked him, "What will it cost to stop Them?" And he would have told you just what you were getting into. The cost is high, though, so very high and so horrible to contemplate that you almost certainly would have lost your mind and ended your journey on the damp floor in front of him. Even if you hadn't, you certainly would not have taken the knife, having known. When the dizziness passes, remove the mirror from the wall and ascend the staircase behind it.

That knife is Object 144 of 538. It will cut anything, but with every use, you will feel its bite.
The Holder of Labor

In any city, in any country, find any refinery or factory and seek out the foreman. Pull him away from his labors and yell over the machinery that you seek the Holder of Labor. If he looks confused, leave the site at your own pace; you are in no danger until the next time you dare seek this Object. Otherwise, he will sigh with bone-deep weariness and pull you along at a run. No matter the conditions when you arrived, the sky will begin to cloud into a toxic brown, lit by a constellation of burning flares. Breathing will become difficult, and you will dodge sudden gouts of sparks or steam from the machinery, but continue along at his breakneck pace, or the equipment will exact its revenge for your laziness.

After hours of flat-out running, the foreman will hurl you into a tiny caged elevator that descends with a grinding ponderousness. You will have plenty of time to stare at the machinery that now surrounds you, stretching in every direction through a murky brown lit by raw electricity and warning flashes. Molten metal pours in rivers, then waterfalls, as mile-high pistons stamp loud enough to knock your feet from the floor. The air becomes stifling and toxic, burning your lungs as much as your skin.

The views become increasingly hellish during the day of descent. The cage grows scalding, then red-hot around you; the only possible relief is in water hissing down from above, but one contaminated drop will leave you retching until your life's blood drains away. Gears the size of aircraft carriers clash in the distance, lit only by the glow of friction, as people fall into their meshing teeth from hoppers. The factory drinks entire seas to cool itself, devouring a hundred million worlds and burning them all in a testament to its own idiot strength.

When the elevator stops at last, you must move quickly, for like the ocean depths, this abyss has its own predators. The machines here aren't fed nearly as often. Run through the dark, and pray that no ocean of ash swallows you, though it would be preferable by far to being caught by whining saws and stray wires, dragged in to be threshed through a grinding engine for all eternity. Run through the black maze for as long as it takes until you see a set of fuses, big as you are, burning in the hostile dark. Each has a spare below it. All you have to do is wrestle each one free and slide the spare in before the machines find you. The fuses are hot enough that the glass is soggy, of course. And the fuses don't like being moved; they'll call for help. So work. Work until your skeleton shows in the blisters.

Should you manage this impossible task, the fuses will explode. One fuse in particular will lob a metal filament straight past you. You must snatch it from the air, grinding it deep into the charcoal that was your flesh until the pain shocks you home again, healed and weary at the ungodliest hour.

The wire snarled around your fingers is Object 283 of 538. You didn't even get an answer out of this one; nobody ever said hard work got you anywhere.
The Holder of Repose

In any city, in any country, go to any nightclub or large party you can sneak into. You must make sure no one outside knows that you are attempting this Holder, or that you have entered the building, or else you will surely fail in your quest.

Go up to the DJ and angrily ask him to play the song by "The Holder of Repose." Should a look of pure hatred cross his face, than you are in the right place. He will rifle through his records and CDs to find the one he's looking for: a disc with no markings, no indication of who it is by, or what music it contains. As he searches, do not drop your facade of ire, lest he deem you an enemy.

Once he puts the track on, everyone that has joined the party thus far will stop, turn to the DJ, and resume their business, but with angry undertones. At this point, it is vital of you to find the only person there that is calm, despite the music. While keeping your up visage of fury, search the increasingly volatile crowd, and find him before the partygoers realize that you were the person that caused so much hatred.

Once you find who you are looking for, ask him one question: "When were they calm?"

This person will smile sweetly -- and then smash a beer bottle over the side of your head, knocking you unconscious.

You will eventually awaken in a large meadow, wondering why your head hurts. Stand and survey your surroundings, but make no movements in any direction, until you find what you are looking for: the calm man from the party. Approach him, and stop only when you are about to collide with the person. Ensure that you do not touch him; no one like it when someone shoves into them, and why would the Holder be any different?

Proceed to ask him the question again: "When were they calm?" In an instant, you will find yourself in the midst of a raging battlefield. Look for the Holder once more. The dangers of the battlefield will make your search perilous and tedious; be vigilant, and ensure that you are not caught in the cross-fire between trigger-happy soldiers on opposing sides of the skirmish. If you are hit by shrapnel or a bullet, you will feel nothing but the searing pain of the scorching metal as it corrodes your body and soul for eternity.

Once you find the Holder, ask him for the last time, "When were they calm?" In an instant, you will find yourself in the middle of a barren wasteland. Do not search for the Holder this time: you will never find him, even if you spend an eternity rifling through the badlands of this entire planet. Instead, scream at the top of your lungs, "When did they unleash their fury?!"

You will find yourself standing outside of the first place you ever received an Object, with a note in your hand. The note reads,

"Then. Now. Soon. Never."

This note is Object 152 of 538. You will not know what each word refers to. The important thing is that they know. Be prepared for when they inform you.
The Holder of Pestilence

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 Pestilence". At this point, the worker should gag, and try not to vomit. After several minutes of this, the worker will finally give in, vomiting into a wastepaper basket. They will then stand, and lead you down the hallway. You will reach a door, slightly ajar, but you must not touch it. To do so would invite its curse into your bones, and your fate would be sealed. Instead, demand that the worker open it for you. Pass quickly through the door, the Holder is waiting.

You will find yourself in a darkened room. The door behind you will slam shut, again, to touch it would be to invite the Rot. Instead, walk ahead, in the dark, until you reach what feels like a stone altar. Reach over, until you find a groove. At this point, you must think only of home, and your friends, and the people you love, as something cold and wet will slide momentarily over your face.

After the deathly embrace is over, you will find the groove has split open, and the altar now reveals a staircase. Descend it, taking care not to trip. The Holder wouldn't want you damaged before you meet. Finally, at the bottom of the stairs, it is vital that you don't step off the final step. Instead, look as hard as you can until you see footsteps cleared among the ichor and rot coating the floor. Step only in these, as to touch the Rot is to join it. As you make your way forward, you will finally come to a stone sarcophagus.

Few people realize this, but the word 'Sarcophagus' means 'Eater of Flesh', and this is exactly what this coffin is. You must raise the stone lid, and lower yourself into it. Hold still. It's sleeping. After a few moments, the room will be lit, ambient light slowly filling the room. You must remain still. If it wakes, all is lost.

After the room is lit to its brightest, you will hear a tapping noise, like someone is walking into the room, however, you will be unable to hear them. As the footsteps get nearer and nearer, you will hear a rasping voice speaking in an unknown language. At this point, most Seekers will find it important not to focus on the words, as they tell of truths mortals cannot comprehend. Finally, the speaker is silent. The base of the sarcophagus will raise, and it is now safe to move. The Holder is standing here.

His skin is gangrenous and blackened, and his eyes are sunken. He will speak to you, in your native language, and ask you a series of questions about yourself. Answer truthfully, and your mind will remain intact. The Holder will ask you to hold out your left hand. He will reach out and place something cold into your palm, and then close your hand over it. For his ravaged appearance, the Holder is not an evil being, and wishes you luck. A door is now behind you. Passing through it will bring you back to the institution through which you passed.

The jewel in your hand is Object 115 of 538. Dare you wield the Rot-Stone unprotected?
The Holder of Martyrdom

In any city, in any country, go to any mental hospital or halfway house in you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask the young man working there if you can see "The Holder of Martyrdom". A most grievous look should overcome the worker's face with a small smile of regret buried beneath. He will escort you to an elevator whose buttons go to up to 538. Press any button you wish, for your destination will be the same.

Once the doors close, you should hear a flurry of shrieks. If at any point, the shrieks change to babies crying, quickly press another button and yell, "She did it for the world!" If the door opens and there is a small man in a tuxedo, get ready to suffer through the same trials of Hell that she had to, something that drives mortals past death. However, if the door opens and you can still hear your better judgment reasoning with you to turn back, then you're still alive.

Once you take a step off the elevator, your chance to turn back will have been revoked. Make your way down the pitch black hall that lies in front of you and touch nothing but the walls. At the end of the hall, there will be an empty room on your left. Feel your way into it. Slowly and silently open the door; beneath the dead window ahead should be a figure wrapped in bloodied bandages. Look only at her. Ask only one question: "Why did you fight so hard for it?" The bandaged figure should light the room, revealing the ten tortures she was put through, but do not look away from her. A smile should warm your soul and a smile should form on your face. If this does not happen, then your body will be replaced with hers, your blood will stain the bandages, and this place will become your new casket.

She will tell you her story and the plan they had intricately laid out in great detail. Listen well. When her smile disappears, you ought to hear the "ding" of elevator doors opening. Grab the bandage that covers her mouth, and run like hell back to the elevator. Let's not talk about what will happen if you do not make it.

That bandage is Object 97 of 538. Their suffering was for these Objects. Keep them apart.
The Holder of Fury

In any city, in any country, go to the ruins of a building that has just burnt down. The embers should still be smoldering or smoking, and it must be at night. The best time for this would be under a full moon. You must take yourself to the highest point of the ruin and present one of the objects. If you do, you should see a light, flickering as a flame would in the distance. Follow this flame quickly. You have precious few moments before it changes direction. If you are too slow, you will follow this flame for eternity, overwhelmed with anger at the small, fleeting light. If you can catch up to the light, however, it will reveal itself as a heavy-set man with a lantern and archaic wrist irons. He will look infuriated and will ready himself to attack you. Before he strikes, you must ask a question: "What angers Them?"

If he lands a blow upon you, all is lost. You will be rewarded with a swift and painful death at his hands. However, if you are quick enough, he will calm himself. He will tell you of all the people in history who let anger drive them to tragedy for their own selfish gain. He will then begin singing and cast away his wrist irons as he walks into the distance. Do not follow him.

The wrist irons will grant furious anger to any who wear them, but they are impossible to control. One moment you may be calm, and the next you may be infuriated at an arbitrary target for little or no reason.

The irons are object 360 of 538. Do not let your anger consume you.
The Holder of Chastisement

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 for the one who calls herself the "Holder of Chastisement." If a look of utter anguish crosses the worker's face, count yourself lucky, for you have come to the right place.

The worker will lead you through a door behind the desk that you could've sworn wasn't there before. Go through the door and make sure to follow the worker closely, because getting lost in these dark halls would mean the end of you, but not of your endless torment.

Hours into your journey you will come upon a large steel door, and your guide will make a move to open it. Stop him, for if you do not, he will lock you out and you will be forced to wander the halls for all of time and beyond. Instead, end your guide's life. It does not matter how you do it, but from here on you must continue alone.

The door will feel extremely light even though it is massive in size. Speaking of continuing alone, be sure to lock the door behind you - you don't want anything interrupting you in your task.

On the other side of the door you will see a headless woman with a whip, her body covered in lashes stained dark crimson with blood. She will point to a carved stone guillotine in the corner of the room. Approach it, and strap yourself in before the woman grows angry. There's no telling what she may do if you take too long, for no one's ever survived who tarried.

The woman will then proceed to strike you with her whip, one lash for every wrong-doing you have ever committed. Many can not handle the pain and scream, but this is the one thing you must never do. You must keep a look of determination on your face and make no sound above a whimper, lest the blade come crashing down. If you retain your life and your sanity through your chastisement, you will be allowed to ask one question. "How were They punished?"

Though she does not speak, you will hear a voice echo in your mind. It will tell you of how They were punished the last time the Objects were brought together, of the penalties and vengeance exacted on Them, and the pain They suffered. When the voice stops, you will be released. You have less than a second to get out of the way before the blade descends, severing your head and leaving you in the woman's place as Holder.

If you make it, you will wake up in your home in a cold sweat, the whip clutched tightly in your hand.

The Whip is Object 215 of 538. It longs for the flesh of those who would reunite Them.
The Holder of Improvement

This Holder can only be found in an asylum of the abandoned and worn down variety, much like the Holder of Revelry. It does not like to use petty guardians, being the sole guardian of its Object. It is so obsessed with self-improvement that it has gone completely overboard and has checked itself into the asylum despite nobody being there.

Rifle through the files until you see a picture of a hand holding a pair of scissors. This is the Object, but you need to pass the Holder's test first. Quickly look behind you. If there is somebody there, then you need no longer worry, for you will be dead before your eyes begin to catch the image of what it is. If there is nobody, pick up the picture and explore the asylum. Search every room. Do not allow the streaks of blood on the walls to disturb you. As you proceed further in, the blood will become more haphazardly strung about, and you will see a body part or two congealed in the blood. You must not be scared. The Holder is testing your bravery as the first phase.

Eventually, there will be a room with a bloodstained...being, its gender not known for certain. Even its voice will be neutral. Do not focus too long on this, for the longer you look at the Holder, the more the Holder you are becoming. You will realize the blood and body parts strung about on the walls belong to previous Seekers. Show the Holder the picture and ask, "What did they do?"

The Holder will attack you. Fight back; if you need to use a weapon, do not hesitate to bring it out. Do not worry if you deliver a fatal blow; in fact, the more deathly your fight is, the more likely the Holder is to answer. Remember, though, the Holder will fight as hard as you do, so be prepared to improve on your battle tactics on the fly if need be. The fight will last for a long time; this phase tests your endurance.

The Holder will eventually give in and tell you what they did. This is the final test; the test of your spiritual strength. You will go insane if you are not Seeker caliber. You will ask the Holder to kill you, if only to spare you from hearing the rest of the story.

In the off chance you do not, bearing the mettle necessary to remain calm and indifferent throughout the Holder's tale, the Holder will vanish into thin air and you must search the asylum once more for the pair of scissors in the picture. It may or may not be in the room the Holder was in, but it will be there. Check the vault of possessions. Failing that, you're on your own.

The pair of scissors is Object 358 of 538. It's okay to let go of that which you no longer need.
The Holder of History

In any city, in any country, go to any museum you can get yourself into. Approach the curator, and ask to see the "Holder of History." A look of terror will come over his face, he will remove his glasses and press them into your hands... his eyes now appear completely white, devoid of iris or pupil. The glasses have no lenses. Put them on, and speak the word "When?" The Curator will lead you to a trapdoor behind a map of the museum, and, covering his blind eyes, will open the door for you. Climb in.

Do not remove the glasses. If you do, the nightmarish world beyond ours is all you will see for eternity. Your mind will not survive.

Walk along the stone pathway before you. It may stretch on for miles, the journey may take days, but you must keep walking. Don't ever stop or turn around. Eventually you will hear children's voices, hundreds of them, as if all the children of earth were speaking to you at once. The voices will scream wishes, regrets and sorrows. Still, you must push on. If, in the darkness, you feel two small hands grasping your head, stand completely still and say "I know why. But I seek when." If the spirit is merciful, the hands will be released and you can walk onwards.

You will know you have reached your destination when the passage reaches a dead end. Slowly turn around. Every single child that has ever died will fill the passage you have just walked. Their bodies are naked, their eyes milky white and shining. Hopefully, one of them will say: "So you seek when?" Confidently reply "Yes."

The crowd will part, and a young girl, different from the others, will approach you. Clothed in a blue dress, with eyes as black as oblivion itself. She will hand you a notebook. It is also blue, but with an indecipherable language on the front cover. Blink, and you will find yourself outside the museum.

The notebook contains information on everything that has ever occurred in the history of mankind.

The Notebook is Object 148 of 538. Even you cannot read it.

Yet.
The Holder of Entertainment

In any city, in any country, go to any movie theater you can get yourself to. You must drive to the theater, for if you fail, you must go fast enough to escape the horrors that will chase you. Go up to the box office, and ask to see the film called "The Holder Of Entertainment." If the worker calls for security, then run to your car and drive out of the state, and don't come back for a month. Only then will it be safe to come back. If she, and only a she, nods and hands you a blue ticket, go inside and find a theater that doesn't look like it belongs there. It shouldn't be hard to find.

Go inside, and you will find a lone seat. Sit down, and wait for twenty minutes. If nothing happens, then you will be sealed inside forever, and it will be as if you never existed. However, if a film starts playing, then you've made it. The screen will display every war, every man used for the sole purpose of destruction for another man's enjoyment. This will go on for hours, days, maybe even weeks. Keep your sanity, stare right into the screen while this is going on. Then, after it's over, simply walk out of the theater. Drive to your house, and live your life. Keep the blue ticket with you.

After three days, sit on your bed at midnight. Wait there quietly, turn off your cell phone, tv, anything. When you hear a growl, get out the blue ticket. The growling will get louder, and soon you will see a strange creature in front of you. It will try to lunge at you, but when it does, rip the ticket. Rip it in front of the creature's face, and it will let out a horrible screech, die after a few minutes, then disappear, as will the torn ticket. On the spot the creature disappeared, there will be a ticket stub.

The ticket stub is Object 139 out of 538. Written on it is one simple word, remember it. It could be your only chance of survival.
The Holder of Degeneracy

In any city, in any country, go to any mental instituition or halfway house you can get into and ask for "The Holder of Degeneracy." A look of disgust will befall the worker you find before you. Ask once more, but be wary as to not ask a third time. A short while after the second request, the worker will hand you an old, rusted, inhuman key. Don't hesitate; physical contact with this key for more than ten seconds has been known to result in "vegetation." It has been shown to be safe if the key is kept in pockets, or for the quick-witted, on a chain around the neck. The worker will point to a long, ominous corridor that, even from where you stand, reeks of death.

The feeling a Seeker like yourself may get when looking on this hallway could be described in as simple a word as horror. The walls and floor are covered in what looks like feces and it seems that there has also been a freshly applied layer of blood. Smells of methane and metal will fill your lungs and nostrils, but do not hold your breath; the "degenerates" will find you in this impossibly dark, yet clear, hall and will not hesitate to tear you limb-from-limb. While you walk footsteps not of your own will echo throughout the corridor. You will hear the mixed laughter of a small child and a grown man, but do NOT look behind you if you enjoy the gift of sight.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor you will find a door made of a material not far from tinted glass - through it one can see silhouettes. Knock on the door twice, and if you're lucky a silhouette will respond by writing backwards on the glass, "Find a way in..." If you were to look closely you could tell that there is no keyhole for the "key," but the last "." written seems to be about where one would be. If you are bright and understand this then you will be able to unlock the door, but remember, don't hold the key for to long. Once the key has been turned, it will wither in your hand and the door will open. Inside is a bright white room, the silhouette nowhere to be seen. In its place is a man with his eyes and mouth sewn shut, his head strapped into the headpiece of the electric chair he is bound to. Do not speak anything other than one question. Ask, "How does it come to be that a person's soul is so degenerate?" The thing before you will rip through its stitched eyelids to stare deep into your soul. Paralyzation will occur as you come to "understand" the story of his sexual deviancy and quest for unspeakable pleasure. With hands and mouth still bound, the once-human will slowly fade from the chair, leaving only a small faded blue box with a matching blue key lying on top.

The blue box may never leave your person. If it is left anywhere, with it will be your five senses. This box and key together are Object 243 of 538. Bring the pieces together to tear the world apart.
The Holder of Sacrifice

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 the Sacrifice". A look of bliss should then come over the worker's face, and they will ignore you. Request twice more. You will then be taken by another staff member to the highest floor in the building, then one higher. It will be in an unused, pitch-black section of the building. It will appear as if it is under construction. If you hear the sounds of work being done, demand that you be taken to the overseer. The staff member will realize he has not fooled you and will take you to the true floor. You will hear an unending groaning reverberate off of the walls from the area furthest from you. It is of utmost importance that you listen to where the sound echoes from. Should the source of the noise change, stand still for 5 seconds and extend your right arm, displaying your palm towards the darkness. If you feel what seems to be thousands of the most wretched bugs in existence crawl across your arm, do not flinch, do not cry out. If you do either, there is nothing that will save you. If the feeling ceases, then proceed further. Upon reaching the end of the hall, something will trigger the lights. The light shall reveal thousands of corpses formed together as the floor, so as to show the sacrifices one must make to achieve ownership of the object. A door will be to your right. Open it.

Once you cross over the threshold of the door, you will arrive in an office. A man will be facing you, sitting in a chair on the opposite end of the room. He will speak on a cell phone dripping with blood, but his voice will be nonexistent. However, once you ask him the question, he will pause. "Why have I been chosen?"

He will then hold out the bloodied phone to you. Take it, and listen. A raspy voice shall describe the purpose of the objects, and why you have been chosen, and you shall shake uncontrollably.

This phone is Object 48 of 538. Those who can bear to listen will receive the truth.
The Holder of Greed

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 Greed". If a look of ravenous hunger comes over them, run from the institution, for if you do not, you will be eaten alive in the most painful way possible. However, if a look of tired want comes over them, they will take you to a cell in a corridor that wasn't there before. The walls will be made of fine gold and silver, but do not touch it, lest They devour your soul.

As you walk, if at any time you hear the sound of coins jingling, stop and yell quickly, "All that glistens is not gold!" If it continues, you are damned for all eternity, and there is no point in running. However, if it stops, continue.

Eventually, you will come to a gilded door. The worker will open it, and close their eyes as you enter. As you enter, the door will close behind you. Inside is an exquisite palace, crafted of ivory and gold and wonders that no mortal man has ever built or conceived. Do not dwell too long, as if you do, the world will open under you, and you will be eternally trapped in a world of filth and squalor.

If you continue, the palace around you will slowly and increasingly drip blood, until a torrent of blood rains down on you. Continue, and never look back, and do not stop. Eventually, the blood will stop, and you will be in a room filled with gold bricks and treasure. Sitting in a throne of platinum will be a corpse, which will respond to only one question: "What do they lust for?"

It will stand up, and begin telling of every want, every desire, every theft. If you manage to keep your sanity, the corpse will motion towards the treasure when it finishes with its story. However, do not take any of the gold or treasure. Instead, look for a small, copper coin, inscribed with an unknown language. The second you touch it, you will be back in the institution, as if nothing had happened, with the coin in your hand.

That coin is Object 66 of 538. It is worth nothing and everything.