The Holders Volume 10 (91-100)

(NOTE: All 545 Object entries in the Holders series aren't credited to any authors so I'll just link to the official website)

## The Holder of Honor

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 Honor." The attendant will look up from his papers and hand you a thick Tarot card. Should you be given the Moon card, then know you are ready to face this trial; however, if the attendant passes you the Devil card, turn away, and do not return until you have lived through another of the Holders' ordeals. Only with their infernal strength will you survive this task.

If you remain, the attendant will ask you to check the church at the end of the street, and return to his paperwork. Leave the building and walk leisurely down the street, and enjoy what may be your final moments alive. When you reach the end of the road, you will see an old, dilapidated structure that may have been a house of worship a long time past. Enter the door carefully, lest the frame collapse on you.

You will be surrounded by light, and taken to the place where the objects you have gathered lay before you, along with two doors. Know now that if you lack the Cloak, the Beast's Resolve, the Shield (Holder of Solitude or Holder of the Shield), or the Sword, then take the door on the left and leave, for you are doomed to fail. If you possess one or more of these Objects, then choose one and enter the door to your right.

You will pass into a hellish expanse of wasteland, its horizon surging with infernal flames and showers of blood pounding the barren ground beneath your feet. Far in the distance, a tall structure juts out, its stark and polished whiteness blaring its presence to everything here. And, rest assured, you are not alone.

You will only have a handful of seconds to take in these sights before a horde of demons begins to rush towards you. If you carry the cloak with you, drape it over yourself and walk towards the building; the creatures are an extension of the Holder, who sees you through their hatred. Otherwise, arm yourself with the plain sword that appears at your feet, as the king's blade will not come free should you wear it. The demons are numerous, but frail; they exist only as a thought, and one stroke will cleave them apart.

No matter how you do so, it will take a very long time to reach the structure, but you will never find yourself tired from the exertions of moving or fighting - conflict is the food of life here, and you are part of its source. When you climb onto the first step of the entrance, the endless swarm of creatures pouring from its doors will finally halt, and the crowd that eagerly pressed against itself to flay you will calm and watch your every movement as you ascend to the large, opulent doors. They will part as you walk, forming a silent, vigilant ring that urges you toward their keeper.

The inside is just as lavish as its outer shell, dressed in fine fabrics and frescoes, beautiful statues, and beautiful mosaics inlaid into the floor. The Holder's minions will form a solid path from which you should not dare deviate; they are much more resilient here, within their home. Follow your only sensible option for as long as it leads you but do not turn back or make to leave. Your passage will lead to a spacious and stark room, dotted only by a throne and two figures; a naked, beautiful brown-skinned woman reclining in the seat, and a pale man bedecked in armor, kneeling on the floor in front of her. Instantly, you will feel a lust you have never felt before. Ignore it, or you will be flayed by the knight for your insolence.

Instead, state without fear that you have come to answer the challenge. With a wave of the woman, the knight will rise, don a helmet, and bring sword and shield to bear. Should you possess the sword, the blade you were given will morph into a round shield, and your own weapon will let itself be drawn. Should you lack the sword, the knight will toss one to you a shield, letting it slide to a halt at your feet. One way or another, when you have equipped yourself properly, a suit of half plate will form around you, and the knight will charge.

Now, it is up to you and your skills. If you chose the sword, know that his armor alone will not save him, as the king's blade will batter and eventually pierce the heavy metal. If you opted to take the shield, then do not fear the knight's blade, for it cannot break the hellish protector. But whatever you decided, be aware that the knight is a very formidable opponent; he will use any means he can to defeat you, whether it be his blade, his shield, or punishing, steel-hardened strikes from his hands and feet. To best the knight, you must cleave his sword arm from his body; only then will he yield, kneeling to you and ignoring the mangled, bleeding stump.

If you are victorious, the woman will rise and walk towards you. Kneel, and hold your weapon tight in your hand. She will tell you "Obey the strong; destroy the weak." Now, ignoring your temptation, ram the blade through her gut and wrench it upwards; heeding your temptation will only result in your being lost in eternal bliss, and any objects you have collected will return to their holders. As her body slumps to the floor, sheathe your blade and offer the knight his missing arm. As he holds it back to the wound, his armor will shatter, revealing him to be a humanoid figure with fire-blackened skin, golden hair, and deep amethyst eyes that bore into your soul.

He will compliment you on your fight, and on seeing through his master's illusion. He will speak, in length, of the measures that were placed in this realm to guard the Object here, and how he extended them through himself. When he finishes, he will permit you to ask one question. You must request of him, "Why do you follow Him, my lord?"

The Holder will seat himself as he tells you, in a gravelly voice that holds the weight of ages of vows, how he fought his way into His favor, and describe, in painful detail, how he fought Him and lost. The words will take shape as the hell knight speaks, burning the images of the entire story into your memory. The Holder will explain the agonizing torture he suffered, and you shall feel his pain as he speaks. If your mind cannot endure this, then you will take the dead woman's place as the Holder's next decoy, but if you persevere, then the Holder will tell you the vow he took to escape the unending torment.

When this is finished, he will stand and offer you the only remaining piece of his armor; the gauntlet, which is still pristine despite the battle. Replace yours with the one you are offered. Then, the Holder will advise you to arm yourself again, for you must fight your way to the entrance of his home. Only when you are ready will he order his minions to attack.

If you chose to carry the Beast's Resolve, it will manifest itself now, surging though your body and lending you the strength of the most fearsome of demons. Otherwise, it will be a long and savage battle to the front door. If you manage to reach the foyer alive and rend through the frenzy around you to the door, white light will surround you, yanking you across dimensions and dropping you outside the wrecked church. Everything will be gone, your chosen Object returned to its place of Holding, but the knight's gift will remain.

That gauntlet is Object 91 of 538, the Hand of Obedience. Though he cannot aid you, the knight hopes that you will free him from his servitude.

## The Holder of Salmacis

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house. Go immediately to the front desk and ask the clerk to let you visit "The Holder of Salmacis". Should they look you up and down, judgmentally, you have come to the right place. They will push a hidden button. Stand perfectly still. The janitor will come and escort you into an adjacent hallway and through a door. Once through the door, he will take you by the shoulders and ask you if you have met with the Holder of Passion. Answer honestly. If your answer is no, he will shove you out the door. Run fast and run far. Do not stop until the sun sets twice, for every plant in the city will wish to crush your body to bloody dust.

If your answer was yes, he will take you deeper into the complex. You will hear a variety of screams, both male and female. If you were to look into the doors of the hall, you would see in each a man and a woman, sewn together in every grotesque manner. Do not look in those doors. If you do, you will be taken into one of them and sewn to another person without anesthesia, and they will forever struggle to pull away from you, tugging at the seams until your skin threatens to tear.

Since you did not look in, the janitor will take you to the end of the hall. He will take you through another door, and take you by the hand. He will ask if you have met with the Holder of Innocence. Answer honestly. If your answer is no, he will glare at you angrily and smash your head against the door until your brains cover you. This hall will not allow you to die from this, and instead you will lay there for all eternity without the ability to move or ponder anything beyond your own pain.

If your answer was yes, he will take you down this new hallway. It will appear to wind and twist, like a serpent coiled around a cylinder. Do not be fooled. This hallway is straighter than any arrow. Step off the true path and you will fall for all eternity. When you reach the end he will ask you one last question. "Have you met with the Holder of the Triskelion?" Do not answer! This is a trick, one that will cost you your life unless you discover its secret. There is no Holder of the Triskelion. Instead, you must hold up either Object 5 or 13: The Eye of Light or the Shattered Hourglass of Darkness. If you say anything or hold up any other Object, even those in the deepest pits of hell will weep for you.

He will take you within one final door and lock you inside. This room will be pitch dark and empty, save for the door, a chair, and an antique clock. Sit in the chair and pat your inner thighs thrice. Turn the chair to face the clock, then stand and move the hands of the clock back four minutes and thirteen seconds. The door will slide away and reveal a hallway different from the one you were in before. This forgotten hallway will appear run-down, save for the ivory statuettes of both men and women flanking you along the walls. Though beautifully carved, these statuettes will have their faces wracked with the pain of child-birth. Yes, even the male statues will have distended bellies from a child their bodies should never be able to bring to term, and they cannot push them from their bodies. Do not touch these statues.

Run now, down to the end of the hall. Do so quickly, for time has begun again and your window is short. At the end, you will find a chainsaw with a diesel engine. Start it up. Slash and carve away at all the statuettes. do not let a single one survive, and do not let a single shard of them touch you. If you failed in this, the statuettes will grow to full human height and set upon you, and will do every manner of unclean act to you. When they are finished, you become just as them. Forever giving birth, forever defiling, never free. Pray this is not your fate and you still have time to return to the room with the clock from whence you came.

Sit in the chair and face the clock, but do not let the chainsaw stop running. The clock's gears will fall down, forming a mouth full of gear-teeth. This mouth will pucker. Lean down and kiss it. Be sure your eyes are closed and your kiss is passionate. Accept its porcelain tongue in your mouth as you would a lover. If you do not, those same gears will pulverize you slowly. Do not stop kissing if arms wrap around your shoulders, or porcelain legs around your waist. This is the Holder of Salmacis.

She will appear as a perfect doll woman, a mannequin correct in anatomy down to every inch. All save for a bracket just above her nethers. Do not stare at this bracket. Stare only into her eyes. "Only the Seeker of Holders should have made it this far," she will say, "Are you the Seeker?" Tell her the truth. For your punishment if you are not will pale in comparison to the seven hells visited upon you for lying. If you are the Seeker, she will begin to talk. She will tell you of her twin sister, the Bride and Holder of the Seeker. She will tell you of her many surgeries. She will tell in vivid detail of her slow transformation into a living doll. Each cut and seam made without anesthesia. Do not listen, or your body will undergo the same surgeries as she speaks them. Instead, squat down and pat your inner thighs once per second, 253 times. When you have done this, she will be done speaking. Ask her, "How may I deliver our last hope?"

She will smile at you and reach up, grabbing unseen handles in the ceiling. She will lift herself into the air, but her legs and waist will not come with her. Now you must complete the body. Place into the pelvis Object 18, the Uterus of Passions. Attach to the bracket Object 19, the Phallus of Innocence. She will then descend and reattach. Quickly, hold her close to you, for a circle of sharp blades will fire up from the floor, carrying with it crimson silk.

Do not let go of her. Ignore the searing, slicing pain in your legs and abdomen. Clutch her close. Ignore the spray of blood from your chest. If you were to let her go now, this pain would be yours eternally. She will then step back, and drop to the floor. Her pelvis will be missing, and her breasts will be gone. She will be dead. The searing pain in your loins and chest will subside, but do not look down! If you do so now a madness beyond all others will take you. The silk ring will twist and twirl, tightening into rope with you still inside. Do not panic. Do not struggle. When it seems you will be crushed, the silk will slip around you. You will find yourself standing before three doors. Two will be restroom doors. One will have a strange mark.

Take the center door with the mark. You will find yourself in a restroom, similar to a men's restroom, but sweet smelling, and with a dispenser for feminine hygiene products. Go into one of the stalls and look down. The pelvis you constructed in the Holder of Salmacis, as well as her breasts, are now yours. Become acquainted with your new body. When you are done, leave the restroom, and you will find yourself in the lobby of the mental institution.

Her pelvis is object 92 out of 538. With it, you may bear the child of Passions and Innocence. Whether you taint it with Light or Darkness is up to you.

## The Holder of Slaughter

In any city, in any country, go to any wedding you can get yourself into. Walk up to the stage and ask the organ player to see someone called "The Holder of Slaughter." Should he give you a sly grin, you have come to the right place. With a wink, he will pass a machete to you from under the keys, and tell you to lock the doors. Stride purposefully to every door and make sure they will not open, and do not worry that anyone will see the weapon. Tap the hilt of the blade to every locked door and every window; this will ensure that no one escapes.

When you have done so, move to the farthest row of pews and stand in the aisle until the organ player strikes up a mournful, haunting melody, much to the confusion of the assembled well-wishers. Wait for exactly twenty-nine measures to pass. When the thirtieth measure begins, lift the machete over your head and strike the first person who is within your reach.

Amid the terrified screams, the music should become louder, ringing through the pipes with force enough to shake the entire church to the foundation. Now, you must, with great leisure and deliberation, move back and forth along the pews, slashing at every occupant of the building. You must show no mercy, no hesitation, only a slight bemusement at seeing the floors, and your body, washed in innocent blood. If you allow even the smallest hint of mercy to enter your mind, the forces in the blade will consume your soul, torturing it with endless guilt and agony, while your body becomes their tool.

As you sweep along the rows, you may hear the preacher continuing to speak, highlight all of the best deeds of humanity and citing many things you and your family have done; listen not to his sermon, for he knows this game well, and is trying to confuse you into pausing. When the rows are clear, kill anyone standing at the doors, and watch them scramble to the main aisle, gathering in front of the podium. Flames will leap from the keys of the ancient instrument as you methodically walk towards them, outlining the few remaining survivors. Give them your maddest grin and tell them, soothingly, "Only the tainted fear death."

Lash out and cleave the groom's head in two; killing anyone else with this blow will alert Heavenly powers to your presence. The man's head will explode, but the body will turn and leap to the preacher. Spikes of bone will erupt from the corpse, severing many of the elderly man's arteries; now, you may finish off the rest of the guests, but save the bride for last.

She will fall to the ground, weeping uncontrollably; kneel down to her and pull her head to face your gaze. Kiss her on the forehead, and ask her where God is. If she begins to laugh, then He is here, and will exact a punishment that will rival all the pains of the Old Testament. Should she cry harder, wailing with grief, then pull her gently to a stand and embrace her. The organ player will now rise, a corona of fire wreathing his body, allowing the instrument to play itself, and walk down the stairs to you with an outstretched hand. Give him the machete, and do your best not to feel any regret.

Flames will surround the weapon, and he will ram it through both of you; the bride will be in too much pain to scream as both of your bodies are burned to ash. If you have any remorse at all for what you have done, then this pain will only be the beginning of your eons-long torture. If you have none, then it will feel as if the fire has permeated your very soul, obscuring your vision with a red haze. Then, like a wisp of smoke, they will be gone, and you will see the church again, only now, it is an effigy of hell.

The walls are now crafted of flesh, oozing blood and pus from countless gaping wounds, fire sprouts up from the floor with no warning, and the air is heavy with the cries of thousands of tortured dead. All of the revelers are chained to crudely formed pews of bone, impaled in every joint by nigh-molten skewers of steel. The bride will be before the podium, her limbs spread wide as she is secured to a rack-like device. Clusters of grotesque, malformed demons will peruse the crowd, randomly grouping together and ravishing the helpless souls, staining them with gouts of saliva, semen, and blood.

And in all of this, you must stand and watch, unfazed. Even wincing once at the various activities will cause the demons to mistake you for one of the guests, and subject you to the same treatment. After a handful of eternities, the demons will all converge on the bride, pleasing themselves in fashions that no ordinary human would be possible to achieve. Chunks of flesh, human and demonic, will fly through the air while they rape the woman's soul. When all of them seem to stop, take four steps down the aisle; they will all disperse, leaving her covered in more fluids that you will be able to identify. The organ player will appear before you, saying that you have preformed a unique and kind service for him, and state that he will give you one concession for your deeds. Ask him in an even voice, "Why do they kill?"

He will look at you, clearly confused for a moment; ask him again, and he will break into a kind, fatherly smile, and explain, in a voice that is neither human nor demon, the multitude of reasons they have for seeing so many dead. Visions of great atrocities will swim in your mind as he speaks, picturing every one with you as their instigator; this may drive you mad, but if you are truly set in this path, you will see them as only a minor annoyance. When he has finished, he will tell you it's time to go, and touch you on the shoulder; the pain of immolation will strike you again, and everything will go dark.

You will wake up the next day in the place you call home, with the morning's newspaper beside you. Its headline will shout of the mysterious murders of an entire wedding party, with no suspects to be had; beside the paper, there will be a thank-you note with a signet ring attached.

This is Object 93 of 538, the Seal of Eternal Genocide. Your path is set, for you are now beyond redemption.

## The Holder of The Self

In any city, in any country, go into any mental institution or halfway house you can get into. Go to the front desk and ask to see the one who calls himself "The Holder of the Self". They will cock an eyebrow at you, then throw a bit of whatever they were eating at you and call you an idiot. Repeat your request, and they will relent. They will take you behind a door and waive you to an examination table. They will then leave, shaking their head at you.

Take off your clothes, although you may keep on your underwear if you choose. Lay back on the table, your arms at your side, and your legs slightly spread to the edges of the table. At this moment, dozens of monstrous hands will burst from the table, grasping with their jagged, filthy nails onto your body. Struggle all you like, you are theirs now. They will begin kneading your skin, pushing and twisting, tickling and caressing. More will erupt from under you, pushing into your back with their knuckles. If at this point you cannot stand the treatment, if you are far too disgusted by their attentions, merely say "I reject this test. End it." They will pull at your extremities, ripping you apart joint-by-joint. This will be mercy.

If, however, you can stand this, say "I relax in your care, bring me to the Object, oh Holder." At this point, five arms will erupt from the bed. Two will cover your eyes. Two will grasp your mouth and hold it as open as it can be. You will taste the salt and grime on their fingers. The last one will hold a bit of sweet fruit. It will dangle it across your tongue, and its juice will dribble into your mouth. You will want to hold this fruit in your mouth for a day, then begin to chew for the rest of eternity. Do not bite it. Do not savor its flavor. This is a trap. If you give in to this sweet fruit, your corpse will be as a sweet fruit for the million hands of the Holder.

If you pass this test, you will be rewarded. The hands will transform as they knead you. They will be as soft and delicate as a young maiden's. Their nails will be perfectly trimmed and manicured. The smell of elegant perfume will gently waft across your nose. It will not be very powerful at all, but tantalizing. You will hear a chanting from inside your mouth, in a voice that is not your own. This is, was, the sweet fruit. It has now dried up into a small, ashy stone. It will chant of the heroes who tasted its brothers and sisters of yesteryear. Relax, for now the Holder is pleased with you.

When your relaxation has drifted you off into a state of utter bliss, the ash-fruit will be withdrawn from your mouth. The hands that held open your mouth will grip your throat tight enough that you cannot escape. The hands that closed over your eyes will open, but only far enough to see straight ahead. The hands that once caressed you will hold you tightly, almost painfully. you will be tilted into a vertical position and the long eye-stalks of the Holder will poke into your limited view. They will watch you: some of them critically, some of them angrily, some of them sympathetically, and some... some will look at you lewdly. Say to it, "May this body offend your eyes, oh Holder. Bring me the Object." Pray that this is true, for if it is not, the Holder will rip out your arms and eyes, and you will forever experience life through it.

If you are indeed offensive to its eyes, you may still count yourself unlucky, for your quest will not end this day. From between your legs will erupt a pair of arms. Held in their hands will be a massive, jagged, ornate key. It will stab you in the chest, and rip out from you a glowing light. The wound where it plunged into you will be gone. The key will be tossed away.

The sphere of light will consume the key. It will take on a form identical to yours, and will dim until it is your exact twin. Your twin will discuss with you all manner of things. What it will say, none may know, except that to answer its questions and respond to its statements will slowly erode your every mental defense. Be perfectly honest with it, in precise and full detail. If you wish to laugh, laugh. If you wish to cry, cry. If you are enraged, yell. Hold nothing back. Focus only on your twin. Do not look at the eyes or hands, no matter what they do. Do not listen to the whispers coming from the hands on the side of your head. If you do, you will be crushed, and your twin will drink deeply of your blood.

When your twin is done with their conversation, it will revert to being a key. A small key. At that point, the hands by your head will say "Speak, for you have faced yourself." Ask it only one question: "Who are we to Him?" The hands will hold your neck absolutely still. You will not be able to move your head. The hands will close over your eyes and mouth. You will be unable to speak or see. The hands will spread your arms and legs as far as they might be spread. You will not be able to move. You will feel something slimy sliding along the inside of your thighs. You will be unable to protest. At that point, the Holder will describe to you every single evil thing that He has done to humanity and every evil thing He will do to humanity. He will describe in vivid detail how each of the Objects will be used to discover and create new evils to perform and enact. Then he will describe, to your horror, the results of these evils. He will tell you tales of the husks of humanity as they spend the rest of eternity reenacting His work, writhing in an agony beyond all imaginable hells multiplied together. And then, beyond it all, he will tell you of the abominations reserved by Him for you, to be heaped upon you by those innocents you once held dear. Then, he will tell you what humanity is to Him. This knowledge alone may kill you.

Without warning, the hands will stretch you, pulling you apart until you think you might break. Then it will fold you at each of your joints until you are rolled in a ball. It will pull and stretch and twist your body every which way, and your body will scream in pain as the Holder discovers new ways to contort your body without destroying it. Then it will dump you on the floor.

You will be fully clothed, and in your pocket will be a small, jagged, ornate key; The Key of the Inner Self. With it, you will discover the inner truths of any person or object you stab with it. You may leave at any time.

That key is Object 94 out of 538. May it never discover the truths of the others.

## The Holder of The Purpose

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 Purpose.â€ A look of pained depression will cross his face, and he will stand up and walk out of the room. Follow him out and down the hall. Eventually he will unlock a set of chained double doors, beyond which is another hall. The worker will go no further, pointing you down the hall before returning to his post. The lights further down the hall wonâ€™t seem to be working. Once you're a ways in, the double doors behind you will slam shut. You will hear the rattle of chains on the other side.

Walk down the dark hallway. It will seem longer than the span of the entire building. Soon you will notice torsos on long chained hooks all around you. Even now they still live; their cries will rake your ears. No words escape their lips as they know no language. All they know is pain. Their eyes have been torn out and stream red tears of blood. Their hearts are exposed and still beat even with the cold metal chains impaled through them. Their arms end in bloody stumps at their elbows, and their bodies end at the base of their ribcage. They flail their stubs of arms; their heads squirm, crying for release from their cruel fate. Black, unnatural birds with curved talons and sharp, barbed beaks circle above. The birds feast on these bodies in small tortured portions. You will see that thousands of birds occupy this hall. Pay them no mind, and be as quiet as you can. If they notice your presence, they will cry for their keeper and you will join the â€˜menâ€™ in their eternal torture.

As you proceed down the hall, their cries will stifle behind you. The moment the last of the screams fade away, yell, â€œI only wish to know!â€ If a cloaked figure with huge terrible black wings appears in front of you, it is already too late. The keeper of the birds has found you. The chain he holds in his hands will be the one you hang from to feed his children. But if a bridge is revealed to you, cross it quickly. Across the bridge, there is a faceless man dressed in white. His body is sickly pale and bony. He holds a pair of scales made of white gold, with beautifully perfect designs. The craftsmanship put into making the scales is beyond comprehension. Do not stare at it long. Look directly at where his eyes should be and ask only one thing: â€œWhat is their purpose?â€

He will hold up his scales in front of him and answer you. His explanation is not meant for human ears. The faceless man will defile and rape your mind as he forces it to comprehend the magnitude of the universe and all things, physical and planar, real and ethereal. You will scream as your one singular being is weighed against all things. This torturous mind raking will delve into your soul and go on for what seems like hours, perhaps days. His explanation will force you to realize how insignificant you really are, how nothing would have changed in the grand scheme of things if you had never been born. For a brief moment, you will understand the work and craftsmanship put into the scales. Your mind will be nearly torn asunder by the comprehension of this beauty and perfection. You won't want to look away from it, for its enticing allurement will steal your breath away. Despite this, muster all of your willpower and avert your eyes.

When he finishes, most go insane from the maddening explanation; others sink into an inconsolable depression as his words echo in their minds forever. The faceless man calls the keeper for these people; they are fated to join the rest on chains. But if you manage to stand in front of him, look back into his face and then kneel before him, he will hand you the scales.

The scales are Object 95 of 538. It has the power to weigh one's soul against all things. Do you carry a fate that can make it balance?

## The Holder of Rest

In any city, in any country, go to any hotel or bed and breakfast you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Rest". If the clerk ignores you, turn and leave and depart the continent as fast as you have the means to. Do not stop until you are across the ocean. Only the salt waters will save you from their wrath.

If, however, he should look at you and then return to his work, ask again, adding that you are a relative of his. The clerk will sigh and pull out a large book. Wait calmly, with your hands by your side, as he looks through it. Do not clear your throat, do not adjust your stance, do not show any impatience. After what seems like hours, the clerk will finally look up at you and tell you a room number. Do not forget this number. Thank him and turn from the desk.

Find the nearest staircase and begin climbing to the floor indicated in the first two digits of the room number. Pay attention, though, for the floors are not numbered in order, and you will not be able to go back. After climbing countless flights, you will reach the floor you seek. Go through the door and you will find yourself in a normal-seeming hallway.

Here, too, the numbering is not sequential and you will have to hunt for the Holder's room. When you find it, knock twice and wait. Be wary, though, that you have the right room, for behind each of the other doors are horrors that will earn you the pity of those damned to Hell.

Should you have the right room, however, after ten seconds you will hear a man ask who it is. Do not reply. He will ask louder. Still, you must hold your tongue. Finally, you will hear him unlock the door. Before he opens it, quickly say, "You need no weapon, sir. I wish only to talk." If you were not fast enough, be glad that the extraordinary pain will only last a moment.

Should you have gotten your words out in time, you will hear him stop and put something down. The man who opens the door will be dressed in a white shirt and suit pants, with his tie undone, as though he was just returning from a long meeting. Bow to him and ask if you may enter. Stand upright and look at his eyes while he looks you over. If he approves, he will open the door wider and wave you in. If he does not, he will slam the door and you will be forced to wander the hotel for the rest of eternity.

Once you are both inside his room, he will sit down on his bed and mute the television. Then, he will ask, "So, what is it you need?" Look him in the eye and reply, "Will I be able to rest?"

He will sigh and motion for you to sit down. He will then tell you about the others that have sought the Holders: their trials, their successes, and their inevitable failures. He will describe every detail, every movement, and every false move. Listen closely, so that you may not repeat their errors. Finally, he will tell you if you will ever be able to rest again. Know, though, that his pronouncement is final.

When he is finished, apologize for interrupting him, thank him for his time, and stand up to leave. He will ask you to wait a moment and pull something from the suitcase beside his bed. He will then throw you a pillow and wish you the best of luck.

Find the elevator and ride it to the ground floor, and you will be in the lobby of the hotel nearest your home.

This pillow is Object 96 of 538. When you are weary, sleep upon it and you shall be renewed.

## 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 The Second Seed

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself into. Ignore the attendant and talk to everyone in any visitor's area. Learn their stories, why they are there, what their relationship with the person they are visiting is, what they would give to have it all turn out okay, and if they know "The Holder of the Second Seed". After you are done, there should be a single person waiting there that wasn't there before, a sweet looking thing with cold eyes. A definite form is undetermined at this point. Upon talking to him or her, he or she will ask you about these people you have talked to. At every wrong answer, they will make the condition of the person you answered wrong on noticeably worse.

Upon your finishing this quiz, they will open a bathroom door and ask you to join them. The door should lock behind you. The bathroom will be nothing special at the beginning, same florescent lighting, same mirrors, same tiled floor and ceiling. He/she will pull you into a stall and lock it closed. At this point you shouldn't say anything if you value your sanity. They will start to talk about the history of the medical practice. In grotesque detail they will tell you about every ailment, every experiment, every person who considered him- or herself a doctor, every tiny adjustment made to a medicine because of the expiration date. This will last for days, so don't feel bad about falling asleep; they will simply continue from where they left off when you fell asleep. You may leave the stall, but the bathroom door will remain locked. You must listen to their story in full before you are allowed to leave.

At the end of their long and droning explanation of medicine, you are free to leave, but if you do, you lose any chance of getting the Object. If you remain in the bathroom, they will then ask you what you've came for. You should reply with one of two phrases: "I seek only that which can stop the others," or "I seek to join them in His presence". He/she will react to the former and the latter differently.

If you chose the former, then they will try to kill you on the spot. With his/her bare hands, they will break a mirror and try to stab you with a shard. You must get a piece and try to stab them first. If you do, aim for the head, but not the eye. Should you survive, they will apologize for their actions, but you must then save their life using everything you know, which is now quite a bit. If you fail, your soul will be lost and left to wander the building. If you succeed, they will then do everything in their power to make you stay of your own will. Many go mad trying to resist. Others try to kill him/her again, and others still end their own lives. If, by the end of their treatment, you still live freely, you will be forced to look its true form straight in the eye. You will feel lost in its eye as it gazes at every sin you have ever committed, every travesty, every little bruise and bump. Any reaction that shows weakness will keep your mind, body, and soul tortured throughout eternity. If you waver, you are never leaving that room whole. If you persevere, the bathroom door will open, and you will be free to leave.

If you choose the latter phrase, however, you will be rewarded by a visit with any or many other Holders you have encountered in the past. You will find yourself restrained in an old field, its contents dead or dying, and you will be sent through their tortures again and again until death is a happy illusion. After they have had their fill, the Holder of the Second Seed will question you again on any random person in the visiting area. Any wrong answer and the problems of the people in the institution are yours now, but they at least go free. From that point, you will have two more options. The first is to leave and obtain the Object. The other is to be relieved of the illnesses you now have. This involves a series of electro-convulsive therapy sessions and several surgeries sans anesthesia. The process may drive people madder, but if you are tough enough, you will survive and be healthy again. You will be free to leave.

If you chose to obtain the Object, then when you go to bed that night, you will hear a soft word from him/her. When you wake up, you will find a large dark book with instructions on how to grow plants that should have never existed. This Book tells how to grow and cultivate the Seeds of specific plants to breed the First Seed.

This book is Object 98 of 538. The gathering storm grows with the Seed.

## The Holder of The Remains

In any city, in any country, go to any graveyard or cemetery you can get yourself to. When you reach the site, find the gravedigger and ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Remains". At first, the digger will ignore you. Do not say a word. Just stand there and watch him. Soon, the digger will grab a nearby shovel and lantern, and walk out onto the graveyard. Follow him, and be respectful to the graves as you walk; disturbing one will enrage the souls buried here. After a long walk, the digger will stop at an isolated, unmarked grave, and start digging. As he does, night will fall quickly, lights will douse themselves, and soon, it will be pitch black, with the only light coming from the lantern the digger brought.

If, for any reason, the digger stops digging, say, â€œIt must be done! I just want to talk.â€ If the digging continues, you are in the clear. If the digger does not resume, run, and stop for no reason. Get as far away from the graveyard as you can. If morning comes, you managed to escape. If your world is forever dark, then they will not stop until they find you.

Several hours will pass as the digger finishes. Heâ€™ll crawl out of the now deep, unmarked grave. Inside, there will be a simple wooden coffin. Jump down and open it; within will be a beautiful woman. Her skin is cold as death and white as the palest moon. There is only one thing to ask: â€œWhat awaits them?â€ If you say or do anything else, the digger will knock you out with his shovel and bury you alive.

The moment you finish the question, her body will decay rapidly before your eyes. Do not turn your eyes in disgust; you must honor her and watch her return to the earth, even the coffin rots away into the ground and her bones disintegrate. Although it is dark, the light from the lantern is enough to see. When the process is complete, a white rose will grow from the ground. It is beautiful, with a pristine bleached bud and a long green stalk. The petals are cold to the touch. Be careful of its thorns. Pluck it and exit the grave. The digger will be nowhere to be found; his shovel and lantern have likewise disappeared. Smelling the flower yields a heavenly scent, warming your soul from within. If you examine the grave that you just exited from, you will find that it has been reburied, and looks as though it were completely undisturbed. Upon the once-blank tombstone, however, are the words, â€œThey must never come together. Never.â€

The white rose is Object 99 of 538. It was grown solely from the remains in the grave. Even after death, life persists.

## The Holder of The Tower

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

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

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

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