ANOMALIE OBSCURA NO.407: The Beast of Reeves Mine

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FILE NOTICE

OFFICE OF INFORMATION RECORDS & SECURITY

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The following documentation was recovered in moderate condition from an old hunting lodge1 within the wilderness of South Dakota, located in a safe constructed in the 2000s. Investigation into the lodge's existence had determined it to be affiliated with the "Wild Men's Club of Chivalry and Excellence," a gentlemen's club that had been briefly involved with the Authority during the 1880s.

Said documentation had been vital in re-discovering what would later be categorized as RPC-407, still contained where said documentation had described decades prior. Investigation into the Wild Men's Club had gone cold, until in December 2020, wherein investigation into the growing GOI "Demonymless" had brought a field agent into making a trade of information amongst an operative of the "Establishment" branch, receiving the knowledge of the lodge as mentioned above in South Dakota in exchange for [REDACTED].

Further interest in RPC-407 would grow after budgetary cuts in 2021, resulting in the Authority attempting to monetize the gold produced by RPC-407. However, the project was soon abandoned after impurities of calcium and carbon were detected in nearly every deposit paid by RPC-407, making any potential financial gain far less significant.


CONCEALMENT MANIFEST NO.407:

Record of Acquisition of Anomalie Obscura

Cargo Determination:

Lethality Concealment Desirability Priority Status
8 3 7 7 A

Expedition Lead: James Poller
Logistics: Craig Daniels
Bounty Commissioner: Frederick Wilmshine

Hunting Guide:

ANOMALIE OBSCURA No.407, referred to in this document as well as by the natives as "Ikto'Ai,"2 cannot be, nor should be interacted with under any circumstance due to its current entrapment. First-hand accounts are seldom heard of due to the creature's lethality; any encounter with the beast should be avoided at all costs. Muskets have proven to be unsatisfactory against the creature. Dynamite, however, has seen some success at disorienting it. Under no circumstance is one to enter the burrow of Ikto'Ai without direct permission from Sir Mose Currie himself, lest they wish to perform an assisted suicide.

If you encountered Ikto'Ai, its speed would prove impossible to escape even by horse. As a result, it is recommended one should hide, masking their human scent with a strong-smelling substance such as smelling salts or alcohol.

Recommended supplies:

  • Several sticks of dynamite
  • One (1) torch per person
  • Several matches
  • Smelling salts (of which seem to help in dissuading mental coercion)
  • A small knife, one (1) per person

Ikto'Ai is highly territorial, preferring to lure unsuspecting prospectors into its caverns rather than walk-in open air. If one decides to confront Ikto'Ai directly, they are seemingly affected by a mental compulsion fixated around the pursuit of wealth, throwing discipline, caution, and morality to the wind. When a person is affected by said mental coercion, one in the group should apply their smelling salts to the other's nose to assist in rousing their mental fortitude. Only confront the beast in a large group. Facing it alone is suicide.

Once one does set up camp near the burrow of Ikto'Ai, it is recommended to have a vial of smelling salts on your person at all times, as well as a knife in case one is to be caught unexpectedly by Ikto'Ai. If possible, it is setting up traps, such as a string of bottles/cans in the front of the burrow to make noise, as Ikto'Ai is a quiet predator despite its size. Subduing the beast seems to be currently unavailable at the moment. Yet, if one were to acquire a subdued Ikto'ai somehow, one would need several meters of rope for each leg as well as a large knot to tie them together, followed by a large, well-lit carriage, as Ikto'Ai has been reported to show an aversion to fire.

As of the writing of this document, there is no concern that Ikto'Ai can influence nearby settlements. Never is a man to confront or research Ikto'Ai by themselves, lest they are slain by the beast while disoriented. Find yourself of sufficient mental clarity and be captured alive by Ikto'Ai for future consumption. One should take out the small knife recommended, plunge it through one's neck, and then pull out and downward at a diagonal angle to ensure a quick death. Ikto'Ai does not seem to devour the deceased, preferring to take any living victims deep within its burrow; the ultimate fate of these individuals is unknown.3


Description:

Ikto'Ai is an extensive,4 hexapodal and a vaguely spider-like creature with warped, pale skin and a humanoid head, the head angled upside-down as if a man were to "crab-walk."5 From limited descriptions, it is gathered that its face is human-shaped, with six (6), milky, yellow eyes, each with no pupil.

Ikto'Ais most peculiar trait is not its lethality, but that every expedition group sent has seemed to have fallen under some form of mental control, said control only affecting those who have arrived at its burrow; a complex, cave-like system lined with gold.6 It is currently unknown what causes said mental coercion into blindly entering its lair, but smelling salts have proved somewhat effective in repelling this effect.

Ikto'Ai has been observed to have incredible strength given its lanky, spider-like physique, being able to toss and/or impale the torsos' of grown men with one arm-like appendage, of which have human hands for feet but an arachnid-like structure to its legs.


Recountment of Sightings:

The Authority was first informed of the existence of Ikto'Ai by local natives (of the Lakota tribe), who had approached a traveling company of explorers employed by The Wild Men's Club of Exploration and Expedition7, conversing with them in English to their surprise. They had warned the group to rest elsewhere, for their former God was believed to rest nearby. Ignoring this warning, the company had made camp near what is now known as Ikto'AI's burrow, which had begun to fall under the influence of Ikto'Ai's effects slowly.

According to the only survivor, [ILLEGIBLE], three (3) of the five (5) had killed themselves fighting over the mass quantity of gold within the burrow. At the same time, one was personally dragged deeper by Ikto'Ai, with [ILLEGIBLE] waking up outside the burrow, saved by one native. Wandering the wilderness a disheveled mess, said survivor would eventually make his way to Tombstone, Arizona, and while using our saloon, was coerced with a free drink into elaborating further about Ikto'Ai, revealing a fist-sized chunk of gold as proof of his claims. After further inquiry (once sober) and proper financial compensation was met, expeditions would be sent to locate the beast's burrow and possibly mine it for resources. Twelve men, all armed with muskets, were sent to accompany two (2) miners to obtain gold from the site.

Of the fourteen (14) men that left, three came back; one had passed on the return voyage of his injuries, one miner had three broken ribs but had been successful in obtaining roughly the same quantity of gold as [ILLEGIBLE], with the final one saving said miner from another of the group, seemingly under the previously mentioned mental coercion. [ILLEGIBLE] had been ordered to remain in Tombstone until stated expedition had returned, upon proper rest and medical treatment of the three survivors, the expeditions' testimony had seemingly proven [ILLEGIBLE] to be telling the truth, explaining their company had attacked one another soon after initial exploration of Ikto'Ais burrow, the sound of their conflict attracting Ikto'Ai to the surface, with the three survivors fleeing with what little they had acquired. After said testimony, [ILLEGIBLE] remained in Tombstone willingly before eventually parting ways on good terms.


Ikto'Ai, from observations, is a territorial yet intelligent creature. Ikto'Ai seldom leaves its burrow but has been witnessed (from a distance using binoculars) to leave its burrow on nights where a full moon is present. This is the only observed passive, almost docile behavior from Ikto'Ai, as it "sits" (leaning on four of its legs instead of standing upright on all Six) and stares in the direction of the moon. It's normally blank expression shifting to that of grief, or perhaps loneliness. Its mouth has been observed moving in speech, but it is currently unknown what Ikto'Ai had spoken if it had spoken at all.8

Ikto'Ai was finally contained when, after a third expedition was sent to gather gold from its burrow, said burrow had been seemingly collapsed within, trapping the beast inside. It is currently believed that one of the personnel had been injured beyond escape and, given previous encounters had shown muskets to be ineffective, lit the provided dynamite in an attempt to kill the beast.
Further study has reported unholy screeching noises emanating within the now sealed burrow, a sure sign of its survival.


Storage & Utility:

Currently, Ikto'Ai requires no transport nor containment. Disregarding these events, however, Ikto'Ais burrow exterior is to be investigated at least twice per expedition to the Dakota territory, once on arrival and once on the return journey. When one inspects the exterior, one should inspect for any abnormalities; such as a corpse on the ground and/or marks surrounding the entrance implying something or someone had been dragged further inward.

Future study of Ikto'Ai has been approved by both the Protectorate as well as the Axton-Hornsby Exploration Society. Due to current circumstances, however, regarding both Ikto'Ais entombment as well as the increased aggression from Dakota natives; expeditions and/or studying of Ikto'Ai will be temporarily postponed due to the increased danger of assault from the local natives as well as the lack of proper digging equipment to re-open the burrow of Ikto'Ai.


Thankfully, however, this blockage also helps prevent would-be thieves and prospectors from encountering and subsequently dying to Ikto'Ai and its influence. From Tombstone, Arizona to Ikto'Ais burrow,9 the travel required is roughly twenty-five (25) to thirty-five (35) days depending on weather patterns, availability of food, season, route, etc.

To prepare for this, it is recommended to hunt while on the voyage, and to use any part of the animals you hunt for sustenance or warmth depending on the season.

If possible, setting up traps, such as a string of bottles/cans in the front of the burrow to make noise, as Ikto'Ai is a quiet predator despite its size. Subduing the beast seems to be currently unavailable at the moment. Yet, if one were to acquire a subdued Ikto'ai somehow, one would need several meters of rope for each leg as well as a large knot to tie them together, followed by a large, well-lit carriage, as Ikto'Ai has been reported to show an aversion to fire.


Discernments:

"The concern of finances is one I am most familiar with; yet I worry that my superior officers are concerned more with finances, rather than the expenditure of finances to research, protect against, or contain concerns.

I understand the final decision is above my bend, yet I cannot help but worry that my anglomaniac commanders (who seem to be under a 'mental coercion' of their own) would rather have themselves a robbery over how to turn this thing from a buster in a bad box into a golden goose, rather than focus on more important matters such as 'what if it decides it doesn't wanna hide in it's hidey-hole anymore?'

All of our work and progress thus far could be ended in a single night if that mean son of a bitch decided to mosey its way down to 'ol Tombstone and slaughter us all at night. Even if every man were heeled with a blue lightnin' and was as skilled with it as Wild Bill, we'd have no choice but to high tail it out of these parts and pray it don't follow.

While I do see the potential gain in the gold 'ol Ikto keeps away from us, I recommend currently keeping the varmint trapped while we focus on establishin' ourselves more and wait till we have ourselves the proper weaponry to leash that sorta monster alive. As long as we keep its location a secret, especially from the Yankees running this country; it'll be our Ace in the Hole, just not yet."

- A written report by Expedition Lead James Poller, regarding the containment of RPC-407.

"Mister Poller, while we do most welcome the opportunity for suggestions and inquiries; we politely ask you, as well as anyone else employed with The Wild Men's Club (as I need not remind you that their presence in Tombstone would be under your jurisdiction) who may arrive, not to act outside of your contract. We already took a great risk in employing you for your expedition to the Dakota territory instead of the Axton-Hornsby Exploration Society, of which we have received great results from may I add.

The last thing we need is for you to start a fix regarding the reasoning behind your expedition. I understand you lost a good deal of men when encountering this devil, which is why I will excuse that a rather distasteful jab regarding the mental coercion of Ikto'Ai towards myself and my peers this one time only. I also understand that you had failed to provide more than a single nugget of gold as proof of your expedition's success in your frustration and panic.

These expeditions are not cheap to finance mind you, as a result, any opportunity for a 'golden goose' as you had previously described, should be leaped upon. As a final thought for consideration Mister Poller, I would take heed not to perform any drastic measures regarding this 'Ikto'Ai', as our reach may be limited, but not as limited as you may initially believe."

- A written response to Poller's report by Bounty Commissioner Frederick Wilmshine.



Property of the Axton-Hornsby Exploration Society’s Anomaly Records

in collaboration with

Department of Aberration Concealment & Logistics


Document Digitized: 11/07/2020 - OIRS

"The previous two (2) Additions had been located within the same lockbox discovered on [REDACTED], 2020 within Tombstone, Arizona. It seems that even back then, certain anomalies could cause controversy amongst the ranks. Regardless, given the information and technology at our disposal now, RPC-407 is currently in containment.

Said Manifest helped to shed some light on RPC-407, explaining away some of its various injuries that were already present during initial containment, such as broken appendages and eyes, as well as possibly its current Nyctophobia. Further research is still pending, due to the nature of its recent capture. Regardless, I have high hopes for this RPC in seeing the financial potential that our forebearers once did.

It should be noted that gold samples collected from the original burrow of RPC-407 (of which had multiple, mile-long labyrinthian tunnels to collect from after further exploration and subsequent containment), as well as new samples acquired in containment, contain trace amounts of Calcium and Carbon, despite said minerals not being present in either its original burrow or its containment chamber. Somewhat discouraging, may I add, and yet not entirely a lost cause as some naysayers may claim, as we may still be able to obtain some purer samples with enough experimentation.

Further information regarding RPC-407's gold-making process is restricted to Level 4 personnel or above. Upon retrieval of the documentation as mentioned earlier (the location of which was acquired not long ago from a mercenary under the blanket term "Demonymless"), an investigation began on The Wild Man's Club, and if any current iterations or re-brandings exist today; as of writing this addendum, results have been inconclusive. I leave this appendix, and any footnotes added post-digitalization to contextualize an older, less professional work. I hope my fellow Archivists and Researchers can take stride in seeing our formal and archival growth over the years."

- Research Archivist Stefan Delgado

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