The Book of Zagothnon

Item #: SCP-xxxx

Object Class: Keter
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SCP-xxxx

Special Containment Procedures: The item is to be kept in an air tight glass case measuring 1 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m and at least 3 cm thick. There are to be high grade Master Lock Class 'AA' locks on the upper two corners. The other outer corners are to be supported by 1 cm high grade steel. Each key is to be held by a Level 3 personnel or higher. Each operative should designate an emergency back up. In all cases, any personnel assigned to SCP-xxxx must under go psychological screening before, during, and after assignment. Any agent that belongs to a magic based religion (such as Wiccan) is to be excluded. Any agent who begins to show interest in the occult that was not present before contact with SCP-xxxx is to be removed from duty and administered an amnesiac. Only agents/staff with experience in magic in a non religious manner may conduct research after getting written permission. Both (2) keyholders are to open the case, remove the item, and place it on the desk on the eastern wall of the room. They, and research personnel, must wear white gloves when handling SCP-xxxx. Research is not to last more then thirty (30) minutes per session. At the thirty (30) minute mark, the SCP-xxxx is to be returned to it's case, and is not to be removed again for 24 hours for a new researcher, and 36 hours for the same one to return. If researcher does not comply with time limit, becomes possessive of SCP-xxxx, or shows any other altered behavior, keyholders are authorized to use force to retrieve item. for what constitutes "altered behavior", see the revised occult protocols

Description: SCP-xxxx is a Medieval codex made in either the late 13th or early 14th century. The pages are made from vellum while the folder is wood with a leather cover. The leather and wood are not original, and were added on or around 1850. It is written in Latin and an as yet unknown language, alternating pages. Like other codex's of the time, the pages are heavily illuminated. The Latin pages have the first letter of each chapter painstakingly detailed and taking up the first 1/3 of the page. The margins contain images of plant and animal life as well as people of the era.

The pages in the unknown language are in the same calligraphy as the Latin pages. The letters are best described as ███████████ mixed with ██████. As the grammar is unknown, these are just guesses. The illuminations are of an unknown ink that tests have not identified. The images in the margins display what appear to be "cracks" in the pages. Each one has all or part of unidentified creatures. These creatures are for the most part reptilian in skin tone and extremities. There are humanoid and non humanoid; all of them appear to be coming out of the cracks.

The earliest mention of the codex that research personnel has found is 1675 in a journal by the Archbishop of [DATA EXPUNGED]. He was visiting the Vatican in the spring and was given permission to do research in the archives. The journal states he was looking for information on a book he had heard rumors of at his old monastery, a codex said to be used by necromancers and witches. The Archbishop goes on to say the monks in the archive were uneasy at the description, and an older monk whispered 'Zagothnon'. It was not until the Archbishop reminded them of the papal letter allowing him full access to the library and archives that he was allowed to see the codex. A small group lead [DATA EXPUNGED] to a cell two floors below the archive. Inside was a middle-aged monk clutching the codex close to his chest. The monk was said to have been like this for months: he had been coping the text and became obsessed with it. Others overheard him say there were "spells" in the book. He did not say if it was the unknown language, the Latin, or both. It was not known if he had cast any spells. As for the name Zagothnon, no one was sure if it was a location or a person let alone where it came from. It is not known if the Archbishop took the codex with him back to [DATA EXPUNGED]: however not long after, seemingly out of no where, the Archbishop became a Cardinal. When traveling, he had a certain chest that was always close to him.

The codex does not turn up again in records until 1848, when a book collector named Stanson acquired it (he added the new wood/leather folder). Stanson kept notes of his work on the codex. He believed that the Latin was not a translation of the other language, but a series of riddles to unlock the meaning of the facing page. Stanson claimed he had succeeded in unlocking the first chapter: focusing on alchemy. Stanson described later chapters focusing on: levitation, control of plants, weather, animals, and the elements; spells of protection, and teleportation. It has been surmised that these are in the first half of the book. As time goes on, Stanson's notes start referring to the codex as a person. He writes about his research as if he is having a conversation with another person. The last seven pages are in the unknown language. Stanson was found dead in 1855, stabbed to death in his study; the codex was no where to be found.

The Foundation became aware of SCP-xxxx on ██████ after a rash of cattle deaths near ██████, Wyoming. Agents tracked a path of dead animals including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and birds. 5 km outside of ██████ the first human body was found. The man had died from injuries sustained when his car hit a tree; the tire tracks indicated in he had been driving erratically and was going between 130 and 140 km per hour on impact. When the town was entered, people reported feeling ill; the severity increasing as they came closer to the Old St. Rubens church. The first agent to come with in 12 m of the church dropped dead. At this time the town was sealed off and a temporary observation site was set up just outside the "death zone". Townspeople interviewed described flu like symptoms that began the previous day around 1700. D-43522 was dispatched to the site, he had a video camera, radio headset, and was armed with SCP-██████. He reported the same flu like symptoms, but was able to enter the "death zone". Over the headset, D-43522 reported that there were fourteen bodies in the area of the church. abandoned_detroit_churches_08.jpg
The Old St. Ruben's Church

Once inside, the main area of the church was empty. The rest of the first level was also clear. In the basement the body of the Senior Pastor of the new St. Ruben's location was found: he was slumped over next to a locked door that was behind a bookcase. D-43522 reported the Pastor appeared to have been pounding on the door, which was locked. He also reported an increase of nausea and body ache. It took D-43522 four minutes thirty-two seconds to pick the door's lock. Upon opening the door, D-43522 reported a smell similar to orchids mixed with lemon. Inside there was a room about 7 m x 7 m x 7 m. It appeared to be made of an unknown material resembling black marble but according to D-43522 "Light reflected wrong off of it." At the center was an alter 1 m high with a 2 m circumference and it was made of the same material. SCP-xxxx was on top, opened to a page near the end of the book. A young man, later identified as a local teenager and amateur occult enthusiast, was dead at the foot of the alter. Survivors described him as "odd" and had been researching "an ancient book that might have ended up in their town." Unfortunately, the young man burned his research notes and wiped his laptop before casting whatever spell it was he cast. Foundation agents are backtracking from library records to try and reestablish a paper trail.