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Description
It's been a while, hasn't it? ^_^
A new SCP-inspired monster, this one using the prompt "Demon." Very long description incoming:

While this anomaly was initially documented in Lebanon, it has frequently relocated, appearing in several locations around the globe. Containment has proven difficult, and current procedures, while effective for the time being, may be subject to change. This is due to the combination of its apparent detachment to known physical laws, as well as the highly detrimental effects it has on living creatures - specifically humans - within its proximity. Additional difficulties stem from its desire (or perhaps need) to remain near humans. Early attempts to contain it in isolation failed, as once it senses itself deprived of any human presence within its proximity, it will relocate, often reappearing near populated areas - often leading to a sudden spike in erratic behavior in the local population, and potentially creating a dangerous ripple-effect of social and cultural tension. This means that in order to adequately contain this anomaly and minimize risk, some level of consistent human exposure must be allowed.

Containment has been established on-site at the location where it has most recently appeared, with the immediate area (a rough circle measuring approximately 3 kilometers, or 1.8 miles, in radius) established as publicly restricted due to hazardous materials. At each kilometer mark, a perimeter of black salt is to be maintained, forming a total of three concentric circles. Three times per year, these circles must be renewed, following the ritual offering of three conscious individuals into the center circle. The consistent application of ritual procedure (as detailed in supplemental material) and the provision of living humans is considered necessary, as physical force and containment has proven ineffective.

Observation of the anomaly must be carried out using ROVs mounted with visual and audio equipment and multiple high-capacity batteries in the event of a spontaneous power drain (casing type appears to have no effect on the odds of depletion). Cameras are to be capable of filming the full spectrum of light - from infrared to ultraviolet - and audio receivers must be able to detect a wide range of frequencies. This is due to the tendency of this anomaly to regularly “shift” the frequencies at which it may be detected, often making it undetectable to standard human senses - it should be noted that there may still be times when it will appear to vanish entirely from full-spectrum observation, although its area of effect will remain in place. This ability to spontaneously disappear seems to extend to its actual physical state - by altering its "resonance," it may effectively change the levels at which it physically interacts with its environment, or indeed this reality, as is currently speculated. The establishment of a strictly scheduled ritual is therefore additionally a means of ensuring that it will enter a state that is in sync with that of humans at regular intervals, and remain in its current location.

This anomaly primarily affects humans, though testing has also indicated that other living creatures displaying adequate self-awareness may also become affected to varying degrees. The severity of its effects increase with proximity to the anomaly itself, with a full area of effect currently measured at a distance of a 7-kilometer radius. A distance of 7 to 5 kilometers is considered the “safe” distance at which humans may continue to function, although regular psychological evaluation is recommended. A distance of 5 to 3 kilometers is considered an area of high-risk, which should only be entered during maintenance, and any individuals returning from this zone must be carefully evaluated for lasting psychological effects. Nearby civilian populations, particularly those within the 5-kilometer zone, must be regularly monitored for anomalous behavior. It is only during the performance of the containment ritual that humans should be allowed within 3 kilometers, with only the offerings continuing past the 1 kilometer mark.

Humans affected by this anomaly will find themselves spontaneously thinking back on past events and experiences that have caused them emotional pain - in particular, events that have affected them personally. This can cause emotional distress and disorientation, with responses varying by individual - most commonly, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and aggression towards others have all been reported. The severity of the effect is dependent on both proximity and the duration of exposure. In more severe cases, psychological manifestations may elevate to hallucinations (both visual and aural), flash-backs to the distressing events, and various other symptoms typically associated with PTSD, leading to erratic and unpredictable behavior. These effects can linger even after the individual is removed from the area, requiring appropriate psychological therapy to alleviate. The use of memory modification or erasure has proven ineffective at reversing or preventing the effect; testing has shown that the use of such substances may actually lead to an even greater sense of disorientation and distress to the individual, particularly invoking paranoia.

In extreme cases, affected individuals - typically those who approach within 1 kilometer of the anomaly - will appear to suffer a complete breakdown of their perceived reality, often reliving events in their personal history. Those affected will, while in this state, eventually make their way towards the anomaly itself. Upon being approached by an affected human, the anomaly will unclasp the many hands that its body is comprised of, revealing a dark interior space. The individual is subsequently pulled inside, where they abruptly vanish. Attempts to document this process via recording devices placed on offered individuals have so far failed, as contact with said devices is lost once the “threshold” has been crossed. At this time, it is unknown whether embraced individuals are destroyed or transported to another location, but thus far no known victims of this final stage have been located or identified.

While the anomaly is otherwise immobile, a variety of sounds have been picked up in its proximity, although it is unclear if these are actually being produced by it. Sounds have included whispering, crying, hissing, growling, and even an occasional scream. A handful of individuals who have been retrieved from close proximity and regained enough lucidity to communicate have reported hearing additional sounds while under the anomaly’s effects - primarily, the sound of an unknown individual whispering in a constant, low voice. Though the language spoken is currently unidentified, the tone and cadence relayed is suggestive of some type of chant or prayer. Interestingly, this voice is reported to linger with a person long after retrieval. While this has yet to be fully verified, the consistency of the reports are adequate to suggest that these sounds are more than an additional hallucination.

As always, let me know what you think! And of course, if you have any other ideas for a creature such as this, let me know! ^_^

You can also help me make monsters more regularly on my Patreon:
www.patreon.com/Enothar

Description
It's been a while, hasn't it? ^_^
A new SCP-inspired monster, this one using the prompt "Demon." Very long description incoming:

While this anomaly was initially documented in Lebanon, it has frequently relocated, appearing in several locations around the globe. Containment has proven difficult, and current procedures, while effective for the time being, may be subject to change. This is due to the combination of its apparent detachment to known physical laws, as well as the highly detrimental effects it has on living creatures - specifically humans - within its proximity. Additional difficulties stem from its desire (or perhaps need) to remain near humans. Early attempts to contain it in isolation failed, as once it senses itself deprived of any human presence within its proximity, it will relocate, often reappearing near populated areas - often leading to a sudden spike in erratic behavior in the local population, and potentially creating a dangerous ripple-effect of social and cultural tension. This means that in order to adequately contain this anomaly and minimize risk, some level of consistent human exposure must be allowed.

Containment has been established on-site at the location where it has most recently appeared, with the immediate area (a rough circle measuring approximately 3 kilometers, or 1.8 miles, in radius) established as publicly restricted due to hazardous materials. At each kilometer mark, a perimeter of black salt is to be maintained, forming a total of three concentric circles. Three times per year, these circles must be renewed, following the ritual offering of three conscious individuals into the center circle. The consistent application of ritual procedure (as detailed in supplemental material) and the provision of living humans is considered necessary, as physical force and containment has proven ineffective.

Observation of the anomaly must be carried out using ROVs mounted with visual and audio equipment and multiple high-capacity batteries in the event of a spontaneous power drain (casing type appears to have no effect on the odds of depletion). Cameras are to be capable of filming the full spectrum of light - from infrared to ultraviolet - and audio receivers must be able to detect a wide range of frequencies. This is due to the tendency of this anomaly to regularly “shift” the frequencies at which it may be detected, often making it undetectable to standard human senses - it should be noted that there may still be times when it will appear to vanish entirely from full-spectrum observation, although its area of effect will remain in place. This ability to spontaneously disappear seems to extend to its actual physical state - by altering its "resonance," it may effectively change the levels at which it physically interacts with its environment, or indeed this reality, as is currently speculated. The establishment of a strictly scheduled ritual is therefore additionally a means of ensuring that it will enter a state that is in sync with that of humans at regular intervals, and remain in its current location.

This anomaly primarily affects humans, though testing has also indicated that other living creatures displaying adequate self-awareness may also become affected to varying degrees. The severity of its effects increase with proximity to the anomaly itself, with a full area of effect currently measured at a distance of a 7-kilometer radius. A distance of 7 to 5 kilometers is considered the “safe” distance at which humans may continue to function, although regular psychological evaluation is recommended. A distance of 5 to 3 kilometers is considered an area of high-risk, which should only be entered during maintenance, and any individuals returning from this zone must be carefully evaluated for lasting psychological effects. Nearby civilian populations, particularly those within the 5-kilometer zone, must be regularly monitored for anomalous behavior. It is only during the performance of the containment ritual that humans should be allowed within 3 kilometers, with only the offerings continuing past the 1 kilometer mark.

Humans affected by this anomaly will find themselves spontaneously thinking back on past events and experiences that have caused them emotional pain - in particular, events that have affected them personally. This can cause emotional distress and disorientation, with responses varying by individual - most commonly, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and aggression towards others have all been reported. The severity of the effect is dependent on both proximity and the duration of exposure. In more severe cases, psychological manifestations may elevate to hallucinations (both visual and aural), flash-backs to the distressing events, and various other symptoms typically associated with PTSD, leading to erratic and unpredictable behavior. These effects can linger even after the individual is removed from the area, requiring appropriate psychological therapy to alleviate. The use of memory modification or erasure has proven ineffective at reversing or preventing the effect; testing has shown that the use of such substances may actually lead to an even greater sense of disorientation and distress to the individual, particularly invoking paranoia.

In extreme cases, affected individuals - typically those who approach within 1 kilometer of the anomaly - will appear to suffer a complete breakdown of their perceived reality, often reliving events in their personal history. Those affected will, while in this state, eventually make their way towards the anomaly itself. Upon being approached by an affected human, the anomaly will unclasp the many hands that its body is comprised of, revealing a dark interior space. The individual is subsequently pulled inside, where they abruptly vanish. Attempts to document this process via recording devices placed on offered individuals have so far failed, as contact with said devices is lost once the “threshold” has been crossed. At this time, it is unknown whether embraced individuals are destroyed or transported to another location, but thus far no known victims of this final stage have been located or identified.

While the anomaly is otherwise immobile, a variety of sounds have been picked up in its proximity, although it is unclear if these are actually being produced by it. Sounds have included whispering, crying, hissing, growling, and even an occasional scream. A handful of individuals who have been retrieved from close proximity and regained enough lucidity to communicate have reported hearing additional sounds while under the anomaly’s effects - primarily, the sound of an unknown individual whispering in a constant, low voice. Though the language spoken is currently unidentified, the tone and cadence relayed is suggestive of some type of chant or prayer. Interestingly, this voice is reported to linger with a person long after retrieval. While this has yet to be fully verified, the consistency of the reports are adequate to suggest that these sounds are more than an additional hallucination.

As always, let me know what you think! And of course, if you have any other ideas for a creature such as this, let me know! ^_^

You can also help me make monsters more regularly on my Patreon:
www.patreon.com/Enothar