Guide for Newcomers

## Introduction

Hello, and welcome to SCP Site -3. If you are unfamiliar with SCP, then I am not quite sure why or how you got here, but I digress. Here is some basic information about the SCP universe borrowed from the original SCP Wiki, as well as some new information that applies only to Semi-Compelling Parody (Site -3), to spare you a horrifying and agonizing confusion that an unfamiliar individual would most likely feel browsing these cursed files.

### Bloody Hell is this?

According to the original SCP Wiki, the SCP universe is one "based around the premise that… in essence, magic is real. It's not exactly like the traditional fantasy style magic you've come to know, but that's the best way we can describe the stuff we have here - Anomalies; items and critters that do not follow the rules of nature as we know them. Staircases that go on forever, mechanical gods from the beginning of time, otherwise regular humans who reshape reality with their mind: these are the kinds of things that, if known to the public, could cause mass hysteria and start wars on scales unprecedented. Due to that, there exists an organization called the SCP Foundation, whose job is to research paranormal activity, keep these creatures and objects concealed from the public, and protect humanity from the horrors of the dark."

Like the original, this site is a place where a bunch of different people write stories about an organization that keeps the inexplicable under lock and key, except instead of just calling it "magic" we use science-y terms like "ontokinesis" or "thaumatology," however unlike the original, Site -3's content has a strong focus on the more bizarre ideas that probably wouldn't quite fit within the universe set up by the thousands of pages there. While many of the famous works of the classic SCP universe focus on horror/creepyypasta content (though the original Wiki has in fact expanded to include non-horror-based stories), the works here have more of a focus on taking the mundane and finding a way to twist it and make it anomalous. For example, you've heard of the popular candy Skittles, right? Well, have you seen the Singular Blue Skittle? Of course not, it doesn't exist, as the original Skittles lineup did not include the color blue due to a toxicity problem with blue food dye at the time. However, one of the SCPs listed here *is* a Singular Blue Skittle, one that no one knows the exact origin of, the factories that make Skittles sure didn't make it. We've asked.

### Basic Terminology

Exerpt from the original wiki, "Due to the scientific and clinical tone most of the site aims for, there are a few terms used in articles that may confuse new readers, such as:

* **Anomaly/Anomalous** — Anything that doesn't follow the rules of reality as we know them.

* **Object Classes** — Each anomaly contained by the Foundation has an assigned object class, which tell you how difficult something is to contain. The three most common classes are **Safe**, meaning containment is simple, **Euclid**, meaning containment is more complex, and **Keter**, meaning containment is very difficult to maintain.

* **Mobile Task Forces (MTF)** — Elite units for responding to and containing anomalies. Depending on the anomaly, these range from paramilitary teams to groups of specialised researchers.

* **Group of Interest:** Groups other than the Foundation that deal with or handle the anomalous."

This is not a full list of terms, there may be other terms used by authors that you may be unfamiliar with, including real scientific terms that may be used by authors to spice up their work.

### Ok cool, but how do I start?

Glad you asked, text written in Sub-heading 1 format! You can read anything on the site, and if you so choose, you may also write an article. Before you do that though, you should probably read this:

### Guide for Writing an SCP

To begin, go to the most recent series on this wiki and choose an unclaimed item number. You will know an item number is unclaimed when it has no link and has a title next to it that reads "[AWAITING DECLASSIFICATION]". Item numbers in the Foundationverse are labeled "SCP-####", where # represents any number from 0-9 (ex. SCP-2521). In Site -3 canon, the Item numbers are changed up a bit, instead being labeled as "SCP-SN3-####", with SN3 being short for "Site Negative-3", and # serving the same purpose as before (ex. SCP-SN3-0110).

As you write your article, you will want to add some basic SCP information:

* **Special Containment Procedures:** The procedures for containing and handling an SCP, or how one would go about safely containing an SCP (ex., if water was an SCP, its Special Containment Procedures might include containment in plastic bottles or isolation tempuratures below 32°F/0°C). Remember to keep procedures grounded and without too much fancy futuristic technology for the best effect, SCP is most often set in the present day, and the Foundation (especially Site -3) does not have infinite resources.
* **Description:** What does your SCP look like? Is it humanoid? Is it an animal? Is it even a living thing at all? Perhaps half of a cat? Write all that stuff here. Your description will probably influence the Special Containment Procedures. For example, an SCP that appears as a twenty-foot tall bear most likely could not be contained in a cell the size of a birdhouse, and likewise you most likely would not need a cell twenty-three feet in all directions to hold an SCP that only appears as a small bird. You may also add the SCP's origin here, or you may save that for the Addenda, or if you want to leave its origin mysterious, you may even want to not write one at all.
* **Addenda:** While not required, it would be a good idea to include it. An addendum is any information outside of the Special Containment Procedures and Description. This can include Interviews, Exploration Logs, Recovery Logs, Incident Reports, Experiment Logs, and any other information you might want to add.

Once you have finished your article, be sure to find your SCP's item number on the series page from earlier and edit it to contain a link to the page and a catchy name that applies to your article, such as "Lethargy Drink Vending Machine", in place of the [AWAITING DECLASSIFICATION] title.