recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
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 eyeing 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.
Holder of the Truth

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 politely to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Truth". The worker will nod slightly, then turn back to what he was doing. He will not respond if you ask him again, but do not dare ask him a third time, for if you do he will show his true form to you and rend you into strips of flesh on the spot.

Turn to leave. The door has vanished, but there is a trapdoor in the floor that did not exist before. Open it. Preferably with something long; that gives you a better chance of escape should they be waiting for you on the other side. If they are, run; run as far into the asylum as you can. Find a window and jump out, for all the doors are barred or banished. Once you get out of the window, flee as far as you can, preferably crossing as much water as possible, for while it will not stop them, it will slow them. And you will require each second to make peace with your god.

If they are not waiting, jump through the trapdoor. You will land in a splendid library. People in exquisite and elaborate dress are everywhere, chatting, reading, and relaxing. Do not touch any of them or attempt to choose a book, for that is the trigger, and you do not want to pull it.

Look around- you have all the time you need. Eventually you will find a gray-haired man sitting at a desk, stamping an endless pile of books with an old "returned" stamp. Do not attempt to touch him or the books, for if you do all the pleasant people will reveal what they really look like, and if you are driven mad in an instant by what you see then, consider yourself lucky, for you will not feel the pain as they set upon you in a vehement rage.

Instead, ask the librarian one question, and one question only. "Which one holds His law?"

The librarian will look up. His eyes are a color not native to this Earth or even this galaxy; they are a color so impossible that you may be driven mad simply by their gaze. Steel yourself, and stare directly into his eyes. Do not break eye contact, or he will look back down, not wanting to view the scene as the other patrons set upon you. He will tell you a name. It is a long one, but he will give you a card to help remember it. Before you turn to look for the book, ask if he will check it out in advance. He will nod, and stamp the card.

Do not bother looking for the book. It has already been stolen from the library, and you must find it. Close your eyes and say three words: "Find the thief."

Do not open your eyes for ten seconds, for if the prior adventures have not driven you mad, what you see then will.

After ten seconds have passed, open your eyes. You will be across the street from the asylum, still holding the card.

That card is Object 57 of 538. You have checked out the book; it is now your duty to return it.
Holder of Frost

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 herself "The Holder of the Frost". If the worker shivers unnaturally, you will be lead to a hallway that shouldn't exist where it does. The worker will wave you down the hall, and, once your back is turned, will shake his head and mutter, "The poor fool." The hallway will get colder as you proceed, but do not make any attempt to warm yourself. If you do, heaven help what will become of you.

If, at any time, the cold ceases and the hallway becomes warm, you must cease walking quickly and shout, "Stop! This is not the answer!" If the warmth persists, run. Run as fast as you can for the exit. If you do not make it, then the fires of Hell shall consume you. If you do make it, do not stop running. Flee the asylum, the city, the country, for the hellhounds have your scent, and they do not rest.

If the cold returns, proceed down the hallway until you come to a door made of solid ice, and knock three times. If a soft, womanly voice beckons you to enter, open the door. If a gruff, male voice tells you to leave, pray for a quick demise.

Inside of the door, you will find a room made of ice, with frozen stalagmites and stalactites giving it the appearance of a massive maw. In the center of the room will be a veiled, ivory-skinned woman. Do not look at the woman directly, and say only one thing: "What caused their hibernation?"

She will tell you her story, a story of destruction and devastation, war and famine, life and death, and of a deep slumber. The story will chill you to the base of your existence, but do not ever look directly at the woman. If you do, your soul will be frozen for all eternity.

When she is done, she will remove her veil, but you must not gaze upon her. Her beauty would shatter your mind. If you keep your eyes away from her, she will cup her hands over yours and whisper into your ear: "The ice age is over. What will you do?" The world will explode in white, and when it subsides you will be outside of the institution. In your hands will be a large, crystal snowflake.

That snowflake is Object 29 of 538. The ice age is over; they are starting to thaw.
Friend's Don't Let Friends

I told him, friends don’t let friends go to jail. I told him how I butchered my parents. I wanted approval from my best friend. He lied to me. Lied when he said it was our secret.
He must have been disappointed when he heard that there was no evidence to suggest I committed these crimes, besides his word. They found prints all right.

Prints on the knives used to chop my parents up, on the sliding door of the bathtub, and on the door knob, both coming in and going out of the house.

All his prints. All from the day before when I asked him to do some innocuous tasks. But, I stand by my rule. Friends don’t let friends go to jail.

Too bad he’s not my friend anymore.

*Credited to ClericofMadness*
Hymn

At morn—at noon—at twilight dim—

Maria! thou hast heard my hymn!

In joy and wo—in good and ill—

Mother of God, be with me still!

When the Hours flew brightly by,

And not a cloud obscured the sky,

My soul, lest it should truant be,

Thy grace did guide to thine and thee;

Now, when storms of Fate o'ercast

Darkly my Present and my Past,

Let my Future radiant shine

With sweet hopes of thee and thine!

*Credited to Edgar Allan Poe*
Holder of Ashes

In any city, in any country, wait for a night that is cold enough for you to see your breath in the air. Climb the tallest building you can find and make your way to the edge of the roof. Whisper into the darkness that you wish to visit the one who calls himself "The Holder of Ashes."

Ever so slowly the stars in the sky will wink out, one by one, until only the moon remains. Wait until even the moon fades into darkness and no other sounds can be heard except the soft blowing of the wind. You must then step forward off the ledge. If you turn back now, you will be forced wander in the cold, silent darkness forever.

You will fall slowly and land on the hard earth. You must rise from the ground quickly and make your way forward through the darkness. Black feathers will fall all around you. You must not make any sound or the infinite legion of ravens fluttering about silently above you will descend and feast upon your flesh for all eternity.

After an indeterminate amount of time, ranging from hours to weeks, you will see before you a man standing in the darkness. He is old and wrinkled, wearing nothing but a brown loincloth. As you near him, you will see he has black feathers stapled roughly into his skin over the entirety of his body. He will stand silently, with his head bowed.

As you approach, the feathered man will slowly raise his head. You must bow your own head at this, for to look into his black jewel eyes is to look into the depths of nothingness.

The man will slowly raise his arms to his sides. The black feathers will blow to and fro in the sudden heavy wind. He will throw his head back and let out an unearthly screech. You must cover your ears and shout, over the blowing wind and the unearthly wail, “Why were they silenced?”

The man will stop and cock his head to the side. Suddenly, he will begin to cry tears of burning pitch. His body will ignite in crimson fire, and you must quickly look away, else the flames leap hungrily and consume you as well.

Wait until the man is nothing more than ashes, then sweep through his remains. There you will find a small black statue of a raven with its wings spread wide, made from the compressed ash. When you pick it up, you will find yourself at the foot of the building from which you jumped.

The statue is Object 175 of 538. When the time comes, it will rise from its own ashes and sing the song that ends the earth.
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.
Headlines

"Hey there!” I shouted at someone about to walk down a dark alleyway, alone. “Don’t you know that’s dangerous?”
“Well,” the young man stammered.
Angrily, I asked, “Well nothing! Don’t you know there are people in this world of ours who will try to kill you? Haven’t you read the news?”

“The serial killer? Yeah his latest victim was found yesterday in an alley. Gee, mister, you’re right. That last guy was alone too. I just never thought anything like that could happen to me,” the man replied. Finally, someone who listened to my reasoning.

“Yes, and it’s not safe to go home that way alone. I usually go the long way home, but I will gladly keep you company. It’s safer that way, wouldn’t you agree?” I was not about to take ‘no’ for an answer. Everyone in the city knew there was a killer on the loose, and I wasn’t about to have someone get this hapless gent.

“Why, thanks, mister,” the man replied as we walked down the dark alley. The air was thick from the lack of light. My lantern barely illuminated a foot ahead of us.

“Right, not too much longer now,” I said as we slowly walked forward, wary of any sounds. I reached into my pocket for my blade as a cat scurried across our path.

“My word!” the man squeaked, too scared to speak above a whisper.

“Calm yourself. There are scarier things in the world than a cat. Don’t you know there are people who will try to kill you?”

I’m sure he would have nodded in agreement had I not stabbed him in the throat. He should have known there were people who would try to kill people. Some would even succeed.

I cannot wait to see the newspaper tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll be front page news, just like the others. At least this one followed me willingly.

*Credited to ClericofMadness*
Holder of Salvation

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 with no hesitation to visit someone who calls herself "The Holder of Salvation." The clerk will give a knowing smile and beckon for you to follow. You will be led outside to an old and run-down well with quite a few stones missing, and the clerk will give you a key before returning to his post.

If you should look into the well, you will find that an old, rusted ladder descends into its seemingly endless depths. Should you choose to climb down, you will hear the wind as it blows past you. It may sound to you like a heavenly dirge, or the hellish wails of the damned. There is no way of knowing which you will hear. Should the wind stop at any time, freeze, even if it leaves you hanging by one hand, for it means that an unspeakably hellish creature has entered the shaft. If you stay perfectly still, and are very lucky, you will feel the wind of its passing. However, if you should hear its bestial growl, you would be wise to let yourself fall, and hope that the bottom of the shaft reaches you before the creature does.

After the beast has passed, wait a good minute before continuing your descent. You will soon lose sight of the opening to the shaft. Don't bother trying to light up the shaft, for this darkness swallows all light. After what will seem like an eternity, you will reach the bottom of the shaft, and remember the touch of light, as there is a single candle down here.

As you look around, you will see that you are in a small room, only slightly wider than the well shaft you just survived. There will be a single wooden door, nondescript and aging, across from where you landed. Don't bother looking for the ladder, for it has disappeared. Approach the door and knock thrice, lightly. Should you hear nothing, pray for a swift death, for there is no escape from what awaits you now. However, if you should hear a woman's voice say, "Come in, dear, I have been waiting for you," then open the door and slowly enter.

You will find yourself in a room no bigger than a closet. A beautiful young woman sits across from you, on what will appear to be an aged chest. She will only answer to one question: â€œIf they are brought together, what can save us?â€ She will then proceed to describe, in horrifying detail, the only way to stop them once they are united. Many give up hope in this room, but you must not let that happen. For if you do, the woman will reveal her true form, and your death will be both long and painful beyond mortal comprehension. If you should survive, the woman will let loose an unearthly wail and disappear, leaving only the chest. The key you were given earlier will open it.

What lies in that chest is Object 62 of 538. It is up to you whether it should join its kin.

As to the tale the woman tells, let this guard against despair. If what she says comes to pass, the three Damaged will survive and start again.
Green Mansions

***Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest*** is an exotic romance by the British-Argentine naturalist William Henry Hudson. The story tells of a traveller to the Guyana jungle of southeastern Venezuela and his encounter with a forest dwelling girl named Rima. As a primary theme, the novel explores the potential damage inherent in contact between European and indigenous cultures.

Text copied from Wikisource

* Prologue
* Chapter I
* Chapter II
* Chapter III
* Chapter IV
* Chapter V
* Chapter VI
* Chapter VII
* Chapter VIII
* Chapter IX
* Chapter X
* Chapter XI
* Chapter XII
* Chapter XIII
* Chapter XIV
* Chapter XV
* Chapter XVI
* Chapter XVII
* Chapter XVIII
* Chapter XIX
* Chapter XX
* Chapter XXI
* Chapter XXII
Holder of Cognition

In any city, in any country, in any hotel, there is a room that is never available. Ask the clerk at the front desk to give you the "best room on the ninth floor". It doesn't matter if the hotel is not nine stories tall. The clerk will be overcome with a look of fear, and they will rush to the back room. The manager of the hotel will come out and silently lead you to an elevator in the basement of the hotel. The elevator will have several buttons with unrecognizable symbols. Press any three buttons in quick succession, and the elevator will descend. When the elevator stops, you will be in a clean and well-lit hallway. Walk into the room at the end of the hallway.

Inside the room will be three windows, one on each wall. One window will display a view as if you are a few dozen stories up in the middle of an ambiguous city. The second will display a view as if you were in the middle of a foggy forest. If you look through the third window... well, then the next fool to seek these objects will find nothing more of you than your blood on the walls and floor of this room.

Spend three days in the room with no food or water, never looking at the third window. You may leave the room and exit the hotel at any time, but you will be plagued by dreams of unimaginable suffering for the remainder of your life. Should you remain within the room for three days, you will be suddenly overcome with absolute knowledge of the human mind. Many go mad at this point. If you survive the rush of information, call aloud: "What was He thinking?" As soon as you finish speaking, you will be told.

You are now Holder of Cognition. Your thoughts are Object 101 of 538. Your only salvation is to bring them together.
Holder of the Grail

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 Grail." As soon as your words reach her ears, the worker will suddenly have a blank stare on her face. If you stare at her, you may suddenly lose all grasp of reality. You should avert your gaze, and ask your question again. A blunt object will smash into your head from behind, and all will go black.

When you wake up, you'll be in a dark room. A compass stands on a pedestal in the middle, pointing out the four directions for all eternity.

If you go south, you'll find a well. If you look inside the well, a stream of demons will emerge and eat you. This is far worse than it sounds, as your consciousness does not vanish, and you will have the experience of being digested in fifty different places for countless millennia.

If you go east you will wander the land of Nod for all time. The wind may strip the flesh from your bones but your skeleton will not cease to walk.

If you go west you will reach The Edge and will not resist the urge to throw yourself over.

If you go north, you'll find a door with a strange marking on it. If you place your hand on this mark, you'll see an image of Him. He will tell you to enter the door.

Inside, you'll find a forest. If you go into the forest, you'll find a lake. Quickly, if you turn away, you'll escape from sudden death, for the lake is but a mirage, masking a creature far more horrible than anything from your worst nightmare. If you keep going and suddenly turn left, you'll find a pool of blood. There's a man in the pool of blood, and he asks for your soul. If you give him your soul, he'll get up. This man has the face of a devil, but his voice is that of an angel. When he smiles at you, if you do not turn away, your soul will be lost forever. When the man walks up to you, he'll say, "Thank you," and will give you a grail filled with blood. And suddenly, in a single second, you will wind up in the kitchen of whatever place you call home. Be thankful- if you had done something wrong, the man would still be holding your soul, and the pain of such a separation is an experience you do not wish to go through.

But bear in mind, you will survive. You will live on in screaming agony till someone deigns to end your suffering. Put the cup in the freezer- it should be kept cold and never spill a drop, lest it ignite once more the fires of hell on the earth.

This grail is Object 49 of 538. If you drink His blood, you'll either go mad or become the Antichrist. Only your fate can decide.
For Annie

Thank Heaven! the crisis—

The danger is past,

And the lingering illness

Is over at last—

And the fever called "Living"

Is conquered at last.

Sadly, I know

I am shorn of my strength,

And no muscle I move

As I lie at full length—

But no matter!—I feel

I am better at length.

And I rest so composedly,

Now, in my bed,

That any beholder

Might fancy me dead—

Might start at beholding me,

Thinking me dead.

The moaning and groaning,

The sighing and sobbing,

Are quieted now,

With that horrible throbbing

At heart:—ah, that horrible,

Horrible throbbing!

The sickness—the nausea—

The pitiless pain—

Hare ceased, with the fever

That maddened my brain—

With the fever called "Living"

That burned in my brain.

And oh! of all tortures

That torture the worst

Has abated—the terrible

Torture of thirst

For the napthaline river

Of Passion accurst:—

I have drank of a water

That quenches all thirst:—

Of a water that flows,

With a lullaby sound.

From a spring but a verj few

Feet under ground —

From a cavern not very fer

Down under ground.

And ah! let it never

Be foolishly said

That my room it is gloomy

And narrow my bed;

For man never slept

In a different bed—

And, to sleep, you must slumber

In just such a bed.

My tantalized spirit

Here blandly reposes,

Forgetting, or never

Regretting its roses—

Its old agitations

Of myrtles and roses:

For now, while so quietly

Lying, it fancies

A holier odor

About it, of pansies—

A rosemary odor,

Commingled with pansies—

With rue and the beautiful

Puritan pansies.

And so it lies happily,

Bathing in many

A dream of the truth

And the beauty of Annie—

Drowned in a bath

Of the tresses of Annie.

She tenderly kissed me,

She fondly caressed,

And then I fell gently

To sleep on her breast—

Deeply to sleep

From the heaven of her breast.

When the light was extinguished,

She covered me warm,

And she prayed to the angels

To keep me from harm—

To the queen of the angels

To shield me from harm.

And I lie so composedly,

Now, in my bed,

(Knowing her love)

That you fancy me dead—

And I rest so contentedly,

Now in my bed,

(With her love at my breast)

That you fancy me dead—

That you shudder to look at me,

Thinking me dead:—

But my heart it is brighter

Than all of the many

Stars in the sky,

For it sparkles with Annie—

It glows with the light

Of the love of my Annie—

With the thought of the light

Of the eyes of my Annie.

*Credited to Edgar Allan Poe*
Holder of Reality

In any city, in any country, go into any mental institution or halfway house you can get into. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Reality." The receptionist will lead you up a flight of stairs that run much higher than it seems the building should be, before finally coming to a top floor, where you will find nothing more than a single door. As you approach the door, the receptionist will make herself scarce. At this point, you could turn around and look for said receptionist, but doing so will only get you lost in the halls of the mental institution forever. Instead, open the door, and continue inwards.

Inside that door, you will find a man sitting on an office chair, playing a game on a game console that you have never seen before. The console is a bizarre design, with a case made out of wrought iron, etched and painted in twisted, demonic designs. In the game, he is torturing a person with methods too horrifying for words. Once you come to the inevitable realization that his unwitting victim is in fact you, you will become your avatar in the game, and be forced to endure any torture his mind may devise, until the game finally ends.

The game can only end in one of two ways. You probably will go insane, in which case he will tear your very soul apart purely for his own delight. However, you might successfully endure the torture, and be granted the privilege of asking him a single question. If you ask him why you are in the game, he will force you to relive the entire game, in its entirety, repeatedly, for all eternity. Instead, you should ask him: "Why do you play?"

With that question, he will scream in agony, and the console will reset. You will now be sitting on the office chair, the game console and controller resting on the floor next to you. He will be staring at you through the T.V. screen, a look of unspeakable fear on his face. However tempting it may be, do not play the game. It probably is best to not even touch the game controller. Simply switch the console off, remove the game cartridge, and take it with you, leaving the console behind.

That cartridge contains Object 56 of 538. You were in it once; remember that before you think of playing.
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.
Elizabeth

Elizabeth, it surely is most fit

[Logic and common usage so commanding]

In thy own book that first thy name be writ,

Zeno and other sages notwithstanding;

And I have other reasons for so doing

Besides my innate love of contradiction;

Each poet - if a poet - in pursuing

The muses thro' their bowers of Truth or Fiction,

Has studied very little of his part,

Read nothing, written less - in short's a fool

Endued with neither soul, nor sense, nor art,

Being ignorant of one important rule,

Employed in even the theses of the school-

Called - I forget the heathenish Greek name

[Called anything, its meaning is the same]

"Always write first things uppermost in the heart."

*Credited to Edgar Allan Poe*
Her Beauty

Her true beauty leaves behind

Apprehensions in my mind

Of more sweetness than all art

Or inventions can impart;

Thoughts too deep to be expressed,

And too strong to be suppressed....

... What pearls, what rubies can

Seem so lovely fair to man,

As her lips whom he doth love

When in sweet discourse they move:

Or her lovelier teeth, the while

She doth bless him with a smile!

Stars indeed fair creatures be;

Yet amongst us where is he

Joys not more the whilst he lies

Sunning in his mistress' eyes.

Than in all the glimmering light

Of a starry winter's night?

Note the beauty of an eye,

And if aught you praise it by

Leave such passion in your mind,

Let my reason's eye be blind.

Mark if ever red or white

Anywhere gave such delight

As when they have taken place

In a worthy woman's face.

*Credited to Nichloas Breton*
Holder of Disgust

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 Disgust". The worker's face will turn a bit green and he will excuse himself and then walk to the nearest toilet. A female warden will appear beside you and ask you to follow her. Obey her, for now.

She will lead you to a simple door with a number on it; you might remember it from somewhere else. Almost as if you've been here a long time ago. I will not tell you what the number on the door will be, but if it is not the right one, your fate will be one of eternal pain and nausea. Should the number be the right one, you will find yourself in a room that looks much like a person's stomach. You will see food being digested, wandering into the lower tracts of the digestive cycle. It will look much more horrible than you've ever imagined.

Simply wait until you see a door falling into the room, then enter it. If you can not enter it then you will slowly be digested, just like everything else in here.

Should you have managed to enter the door, you will find yourself in a room with pure, white walls. Those are one of the few things that do not drive this Holder mad. You are not one of these things, however, so be prepared to run as fast as you can if necessary. Approach the girl in the middle of the room and ask her: "What do you consider pure?" She will stare at you and open her mouth, trying to speak. But she will be unable to, and instead vomit onto the floor. Close your eyes for as long as you hear her emptying her stomach.

When you no longer hear anything, open your eyes again and walk to where the girl was. Take the pills at your feet.

These pills are Object 52 of 538. Eating one will cause you to vanish as the girl did.
Holder of Silence

Do not speak. Do not sigh. Shut down any sound-making device; smash it if you must. Send away your friends and family; never see them again. And smother that damn dog.

Shoot the neighbors; they want to break it.

The silence- hear it? Pure and golden, all for you. There will be no clamor, no gasping or struggling, so long as you maintain the silence.

Walk to the institute. Make no noise and let no others blast and blare through your silence; their fists and guns and bullets must not stop you.

They must not break the silence.

When you reach the institute, hand the desk worker a blank piece of paper and they will understand.

You will be taken deep into the institute. All the while, bask in your silence: crushing you, maddening you. It wants to destroy you so that you may be part of it.

Hear that? The blood rushing through your veins? That must be silent. Tear out the noisy heart, for it has offended and must be cast aside.

Continue walking- you must walk- and be surrounded by the silence.

Bring up walls and cages to defend the silence; create punishments for those who would break it.

When you reach your cell you may once more speak, but you will not want to. You will simply wish to maintain the silence, have it surround you, be near you. Hold it for a while.

Because that Silence is Object 31 of 538. It must not be broken.
Gold and Love for Dearie

Out on the mountain over the town,

All night long, all night long,

The trolls go up and the trolls go down,

Bearing their packs and singing a song;

And this is the song the hill-folk croon,

As they trudge in the light of the misty moon---

This is ever their dolorous tune:

"Gold, gold! ever more gold---

Bright red gold for dearie!"

Deep in the hill a father delves

All night long, all night long;

None but the peering, furtive elves

Sees his toil and hears his song;

Merrily ever the cavern rings

As merrily ever his pick he swings,

And merrily ever this song he sings:

"Gold, gold! ever more gold---

Bright red gold for dearie!"

Mother is rocking thy lowly bed

All night long, all night long,

Happy to smooth thy curly head,

To hold thy hand and to sing her song:

'T is not of the hill-folk dwarfed and old,

Nor the song of thy father, stanch and bold,

And the burthen it beareth is not of gold:

But it 's "Love, love! nothing but love---

Mother's love for dearie!"

*Credited to Eugene Field*
Holder of Divinity

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you get to the front desk, ask to visit "The Holder of Divinity". Repeat this two more times before the worker responds. He should stiffen, looking straight upwards for a few seconds before looking back down at you with eyes of an indescribable color. You must then follow the worker, keeping your eyes on the ground, tracing his footsteps as exactly as you can. If you do not follow precisely, you will never find your way again.

When the worker stops, turn around and look up from the ground. Resist any urge to look behind you from this point on. You will find yourself facing a door, with a hideously shaped red dagger stabbed into the center. Grip its handle, and an incredible pain should slowly creep up the surface of your arm, then across your whole body, sinking deeper and deeper into your body. If at any time you release your hold on the dagger, the pain will never go away, even after you die. Once the pain reaches your heart, you should feel a sudden surge of demonic strength. Rip the dagger from the door and it will swing open, the pain vanishing as the dagger separates from the door.

You must run through the doorway and through a long, arched hallway, which will open into a strangely lit circular room. Go straight for the man in the center. He will be kneeling, facing away from you, deep in prayer, completely in shadow but surrounded by a golden glow. If he finishes his prayer before you reach him, your eternal soul won't be worth a plugged nickel.

Once you reach him, press the dagger to his throat and ask the question, "What do they teach?" He will begin to sing in answer. Do not try to comprehend his words; in your state they would destroy you. Listen only for the word "sacrifice". As soon as you hear this word, stab the dagger into his throat. His blood will seep onto the dagger, transforming it, and light will fill the room. You will find yourself standing on the roof of the building you started at, holding a pure-white feather.

That feather is Object 77 of 538. Protect it at all costs, for its fate is now your own.
Herr Korbes

Once upon a time there were a rooster and a hen who wanted to take a journey together. So the rooster built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, and hitched four mice to it. The hen climbed aboard with the rooster, and they drove away together.
Not long afterward they met a cat, who said, "Where are you going?"

The rooster answered, "We're on our way to Herr Korbes's house."

"Take me with you," said the cat.

The rooster answered, "Gladly. Climb on behind, so you won't fall off the front. Be careful not to get my red wheels dirty. Roll, wheels. Whistle, mice. We're on our way to Herr Korbes's house."

Then a millstone came along, then an egg, then a duck, then a pin, and finally a needle. They all climbed aboard the carriage and rode with them.

But when they arrived at Herr Korbes's house, he was not there. The mice pulled the carriage into the barn. The hen and the rooster flew onto a pole. The cat sat down in the fireplace and the duck in the water bucket. The egg rolled itself up in a towel. The pin stuck itself into a chair cushion. The needle jumped onto the bed in the middle of the pillow. The millstone lay down above the door.

Then Herr Korbes came home. He went to the fireplace, wanting to make a fire, and the cat threw ashes into his face. He ran quickly into the kitchen to wash himself, and the duck splashed water into his face. He wanted to dry himself off with the towel, but the egg rolled against him, broke, and glued his eyes shut. Wanting to rest, he sat down in the chair, and the pin pricked him. He fell into a rage and threw himself onto his bed, but when he laid his head on the pillow, the needle pricked him, causing him to scream and run out of the house. As he ran through the front door the millstone jumped down and struck him dead.

Herr Korbes must have been a very wicked man.

*Credited to the Brothers Grimm*
Holder of Respite

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Ask the worker behind the front desk to see "The Holder of Respite." If you're lucky, you'll be led to the back of the building and shown a rotting wooden trapdoor. The worker will open it for you. Once you descend, there's no going back.

The trapdoor leads to a stony labyrinth -- one devoid of windows, and filled with the kind of golden-brown dusty light one might see in an attic in the afternoon. Don't dwell too long on the light; stay alert, and search for the Holder, as he is already searching for you.

He is a hulking, twelve-foot-or-taller beast with the body and legs of a man, but the head and feet of a bull. You won't be able to see him until he wants you to, and he doesn't like his prey to see him until it's too late. Keep your wits about you; if yo do not defeat this Holder, you shall become his next meal.

No matter how skilled or unskilled you are at combat, if you manage to fend off the beast's initial blow, the two of you will be evenly matched thereafter. Continue your battle, and when you are ready for it to end, ask the beast, "Where is it safe?" Upon hearing this, he will pause for the briefest of moments, giving you an opportunity to strike before he responds. Attack; if you let him give his answer, you will find yourself horribly outmatched when the fight resumes.

You cannot kill this beast -- not permanently, anyway. Time will eventually heal all wounds that you inflict, but you can strike him down for long enough to take what you have come for. Assuming you manage to render the Holder inert, approach his body and check the hand that wasn't carrying the axe. It ought to be tightly clenching a Thumbtack. If not, you'll have to search the ground around where you fought.

Stick the Thumbtack into something, and the stuck item will be hidden from all you wish to hide it from.

The Thumbtack is Object 158 of 538. Use it sparingly, lest what it hides fade from view forever.
Hans Dumb

There was a king who lived happily with his daughter, his only child. Quite suddenly the princess had a baby, but no one knew who the father was. For some time the king was beside himself. Finally he ordered the princess to take the child to the church. A lemon would be placed in his hand, and whoever he should give it to would be the child's father and the princess's husband. This happened, but only fine people were admitted into the church. However, in the town there was a small, crooked, hunchbacked lad who was not very smart and who was therefore known as Hans Dumb. He mingled with the others and slipped into the church without being seen. When the child reached out with the lemon, it was to Hans Dumb!
The princess was horrified, and the king was so taken aback that he had her, the child, and Hans Dumb placed into a cask and set adrift at sea. The cask soon drifted away, and when they were alone at sea the princess cried out bitterly, "You horrid, hunchbacked, impudent rogue, you are the cause of my suffering. Why did you force your way into the church? You have nothing to do with the child."

"Oh yes," said Hans Dumb. "I have a lot to do with it, because one day I wished that you would have a child, and my wishes come true."

"If that is so, then wish us something to eat."

"I can do that too," said Hans Dumb, and he wished for a plate filled with potatoes. The princess would have liked something better, but because she was so hungry she helped him eat the potatoes.

After they had eaten their fill, Hans Dumb said, "Now I shall wish us a fine ship!" He had scarcely said this and they were sitting in a splendid ship, with an excess of everything that they might want.

The helmsman steered straight for land, and as they were going ashore Hans Dumb said, "Here there shall be a castle!" And there was a splendid castle there, and servants dressed in gold came and led the princess and the child inside, and when they were in the middle of the great hall, Hans Dumb said, "Now I wish to become a young and intelligent prince!" Then his hump disappeared, and he was handsome and straight and friendly. He found favor with the princess, and he became her husband, and they lived happily for a long time.

One day the old king got lost while out riding and came to their castle. He was amazed, because he had never seen it before, and he went inside. The princess recognized her father at once, but he did not know who she was, for he thought that she had long since drowned in the ocean. She received him with splendor, but when he wanted to go back home, she secretly placed a golden goblet into his pocket.

After he had ridden away she sent some knights after him to stop him and see if he hadn't stolen the golden goblet. They found it in his pocket and brought him back. He swore to the princess that he had not stolen it and did not know how it came to be in his pocket.

She said, "You see, one should always be cautious about accusing another person." With this she revealed herself as his daughter. The king was overjoyed, and they lived happily together, and after his death Hans Dumb became king.

*Credited to The Brothers Grimm*
Holder of Clarity

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 Clarity". The worker will begin to chatter on about their life, making inside jokes and references which only they understand. All the while, they will walk in a weaving motion to the recreational area of the building. They will slide open a hatch beneath a table and suddenly fall silent with a grim look upon their face. You will look down into the hole, and you will see a vast number of lights flashing on and off, and you will feel berated and confused, but you must go in.

This hall seems to have no start and no end, the lights flashing sporadically, and you will find that tiny flying objects flit in front of you, in your eyes and nose and mouth. The air will fill with a horrible, all-consuming buzzing noise that does not allow you to hear even your own screams. You must only walk on, and if for any reason the objects stop moving or the lights hold their glow, you must yell out, "They shall not know I'm here, as I have covered my tracks!" If the calm stays, you are too late, as it has already begun.

If the horrible bewilderment returns, you must forge on. In your wanderings, you will meet a door. You can feel its handle and allow yourself in. The room will be eternal, only the floor holding your mind intact.

There will be a man whose entire form is run through with long nails and stakes, every inch of his body secured. His mouth is held open, pins forcing his lips up to his face, a stake buried in the back of his gaping mouth. His tongue will writhe and flop at your arrival, his eyes searching over you in a panicked state.

He will respond to only one question: "Why do they take form?" His eyes will affix on you and his tongue will hold still. In a gargling, horrible speech, he will recite to you the creation of every Object, and the purpose of each. The description will force you to vomit upon every sentence, and the tale leaves most mad.

You will find a rusty and worn fillet knife in your hand. You must remove his writhing tongue with his pathetic and gurgling screams echoing through your soul. He will seem pathetic and you will want to help him, but do not, or you will replace him.

His tongue is Object 28 of 538. They will meet; only you shall know why.