Per 
SCP: Font of Avernus
Greetings! Today I present to you an idea partially inspired by scp-1730, and “The Mist,” by Steven King. The SCP article is meant to be split between 3 different acts, hereby referred to in this post as, “The Prologue,” “The Meat-and-Potatoes,” and “The Epilogue.” Note that this is merely to have the ideas written down, and not necessarily a draft of the article itself.
The Prologue:
The Font of Avernus is a shallow pool of water located in the caves of central Florida (similar to Devil’s Den). The Font is only a foot deep, with a circumference of 314 yards. The pool gives of a fine mist which dissipates a small distance from the water. Individuals that stand in the water are slowly healed of their injuries and defects. Overexposure to the water results in the individual’s body being completely coated by bark, essentially, they are turned into trees. The most the Foundation has done to test this SCP has been sending in D-Class with anywhere from minor scrapes or bruises to mortal injuries to record speed of healing and conversion rate.
The pool itself is of mysterious origin. It was discovered in the mid-80’s, but the area had already been explored previously and photographic evidence supports the fact that the anomaly materialized instantaneously. The SCP was categorized as a Euclid, with controlled entry being the main containment procedure. The Foundation built Site 34 over the pool, along with a nearby warehouse and cellblock for containing SCP’s.
Additionally, two characters are introduced at this time, Director Bernard Martin and Doctor Calvin Newitt.
Director Martin was married to Laura Martin, during his time as a junior researcher for the Foundation. She was killed in a car accident twenty years prior to the incident. Martin, having researched means of reversing death within the Foundation, faked her cremation and kept her remains, hoping that one day, by climbing ranks, he might find a way to bring her back. His promotion to director of Site 34 was a means by which he could gain access to the Font.
Doctor Newitt is the head researcher in charge of the Font. Any and all tests must be passed by him. During his early days in the Foundation, he raided a storage container full of anomalous objects, he pocketed one, a lighter that never ran out of fuel, which he used to fuel his smoking habit. His family lives a short distance from the nearby town of Drayton.
The Meat-and-Potatoes:
The article then mentions an “incident”
After testing the pool with various D-Class, Director Martin wants to forward a test on a dead body, to see if the font can revive it. Doctor Newitt blocks the test, not knowing the implications of such a test, and wanting to ease into it through tests on dying D-Class. Not wanting to wait, Director Martin storms through the facility and tosses Laura’s remains into the pool. The rest of the foundation receives footage of this event up until the remains enter the pool and receives a distress call immediately afterward.
Investigation of the site concluded that it, the town of Dayton, and the surrounding forest are being consumed by large clouds of mist at an alarming rate. Acting quickly, the Foundation set up large reality anchors and massive fans, slowing -but not stopping- the mist from spreading. All communications from within Site 34 and Dayton are down, and no-one has left the area, designated as a “No Fly Zone.”
Within the confines of the mist, a large black creature appears, with between 15-20 legs and much taller than the surrounding trees. It was fired upon to no effect, and eventually it left back into the mists.
D-class wielding cameras and surveillance equipment are sent in. Transcripts are given of the events.
The first D-Class enters the mist and walks through the forest. There are no signs of animal or human life, and the forest is deathly silent. The D-Class has great difficulty navigating due to poor visibility. Eventually he comes into contact with a single tall dark humanoid figure, described as a “shadow.” It seems to be able to manipulate its size and contort itself. The D-Class says that the figure is made out of “black mist.” The figure grabs the D-Class and drags him off through the fog.
The second D-Class enters with the same equipment and is allowed to carry a small firearm. He travels a short way through the fog before encountering a large group of black figures, each similar to -but not as powerful as- the figure the first D-Class encountered. He fires on them to no effect and is dragged away as well.
At this point the containment field is taken by the mist and the foundation is forced to retreat and set up a second containment field.
Realizing that D-Class could never make it far enough to gather any meaningful information, a Mobile Task Force is sent in. They discover that fire is capable of keeping the creatures at bay. Two days into their trek, the group is lured by the sound of singing into a densely forested region. It is realized that the trees are actually the legs of the massive creature seen early, and the body descends and takes them away.
The second group enters from another location, closer to Dayton. While walking through the woods, they hear the sounds of screams and “wails” and the group splits between people thinking it’s a trick and people who want to investigate. The group sent to investigate finds a massive feline-esque beast with spindly legs, shadows reach out and grab their feet, pulling them away. The other half makes it to Dayton where they discover survivors. After a heated argument between command and the members of the Mobile Task Force, the Task Force decides to stay and try to help the townspeople.
The third group enters at the same location as the last, and rendezvous with the group at Dayton. They meet an escaped D-Class who knows a way to enter the facility. On the way there, they are attacked by the shadow people, which they repel, as well as the large shadow monster, and the feline. Barely escaping inside, they navigate the site until they run into Doctor Newitt, who survived because he can keep the shadows away with his lighter. However, constantly having to reignite the lighter has caused his hands to become bloody and ruined. He stays in the observation room above the pool, writing strange things on the walls with his blood. He informs the group that “The Mother of the Mists,” or “Achlys” has taken Laura’s body as a vessel and is using it to spread her influence. From the observation room they can see the figure of a woman standing in the pool. She appears to be made of blue tinted mist through which one can see the skeleton of Laura underneath.
When entering the room with the pool, the team see that the ceiling is “writhing” with bodies all of which are suspended by thick black vines. They are then attacked by the large, more powerful shadow, which captures and sticks some of the group to the wall. Unlike the other creatures in the mist, the shadow seems to be merely slowed by the fire. The remaining members of the mobile task force manage to distract the large shadow long enough for one of them to torch the vessel. As she burns the mist begins to dissipate and the shadows fade.
Monsters and Men:
Several new entities are introduced and are to be classified as “sub” SCP’s
The Shade:
Composed of black mist with the ability to contort size and fly within the mist. The Shade is actually Director Martin, who was given more mental capacity to better serve Achlys following the incident. The Shade is the only black mist creature with the capacity to resist fire to any extent and is intelligent enough to not need to rely on ambush techniques, opting instead for a direct approach.
The Mistmen:
Composed of black mist and confined to a single size. Mistmen are the people taken in the mist. They may mimic their previous behavior, but have no free will, and are instead controlled by Achlys through the vines that hold their bodies. If a survivor sees a shadow of a loved one, they will instantly recognize them, and, if alone, can be drawn out by one. They move within their confines as their shadows do in the mist. A single mistman, called a Shadow, will often stay just barely in vision, just enough to make a person frightened or suspicious enough to fall for a coordinated attack.
The Singer:
Composed of black mist and is massive, taller than the trees of the forest. It lures people into clearings with its voice, classified as a cognitohazard. Most people who hear it are drawn to a clearing beneath it where the body will lower and take the listeners up to it. Even recordings will lure people towards it. While listening, the song is considered “beautiful” by the listener. If the song ends before people are drawn towards it (e.g. a recording) then the listener will refer to it as “creepy” and foreboding.”
The Wailer:
Composed of black mist with a catlike body and long legs, there can be many wailers. While the sound itself is not anomalous, it is used for two capture methods. In a “Screamer” scenario, the wailer screams loudly, frightening its victims and separating them, allowing them to be captured by mistmen. In a “Crier” scenario, the Wailer will sound like a sobbing woman or child, prompting rescue from its victims, who are then ambushed by either mistmen or the Wailer itself.
Achlys:
Composed of Blue Mist.
In another dimension, humanity faced extinction in the face of the SCP-01 event, “When Day Breaks.” The foundation, located deep below in the depths of the Earth, sought to protect what was left by blocking the sun. To do this, they made a few pacts with a few interdimensional beings of dubious intentions which gave their test subject, Achlys, power over the mists. She was given one goal, protect humanity from the sun. Within her dimension, she completed this goal, conquering Earth and shielding it from the sun, and protecting its inhabitants by converting them into shades and mistmen. She had completed her quest, but could not fathom a meaningless existence, so she began creating portals to other dimensions, spreading her influence by taking and controlling vessels through which she could expand her power. Before the story we read, she has already conquered countless dimensions.
Characters:
Dr. Newitt:
trapped in the facility, began to go crazy due to lack of sleep and hearing “voices” in the mist, particularly of his oldest daughter, whose shade appeared to try and beckon him out. Achlys speaks to Newitt, trying to lure him out herself by telling him her purpose.
Escaped D-Class:
A non-violent D-Class, used in a test on the Font, who was assigned the role of janitor and escaped during the incident, knows how to enter the site, following lockdown
Townspeople:
Groups of people barricaded within buildings in town, survive by keeping bonfires burning 24/7.
MTF 1
Largely inexperienced and unversed in the fickle nature of anomalous dangers, the first MTF team’s fate was a tragic result of poor planning, as the more experienced MTFS in the area were sent to Texas to deal with another interdimensional threat, deemed a higher priority.
MTF 2
Better equipped and smarter, MTF 2’s moral crises resulted in the capture of half the crew, and the other half faced severe punishment for disobeying command, however they were commended for their willingness to protect the townspeople.
MTF 3
Command’s loss of the first 2 MTF’s caused higher powers to intervene and send in a truly experienced and dangerous MTF squad, their losses where regrettable, but the cost was acceptable in the eyes of their superiors.
Note:
Black mist, when exposed to sunlight dissipates. It cannot be captured or contained. Heat seems to disarrange it, but not destroy it.
Blue mist is incredibly fragile and easily destroyed, it contains the power and consciousness of Achlys and only appears around the vessel.
The animals taken in the mist where amalgamated together to form the Singer and the Wailers.
The Epilogue:
The Foundation returns to Site 34 and rescues and interviews Dr. Newitt. He is allowed to keep his lighter at his own request. The bodies of all the taken are still alive, however, they are all brain-dead and incapable of thought. The article will never make mention of their fate outside of testing procedures.
Director Martin survived with his brain intact. However, his body is now shrouded in black mist. Outside of Achlys’s powers, he is contained at the site he once directed.
Amnestics are delivered to all the townspeople, who are taken away from Dayton, now a derelict ghost town. After Debriefing, Dr. Newitt retires with what is left of his family.
An interview with Director Martin sheds more light on the vessel selection process. The font provides healing powers to get people to stay in the pool long enough for Achlys to take over. However, an outside for had been turning all living candidates into trees that she could not control. Martin mentions that this entity, referred to as the “Life Guardian” is dying, and after its death, the world will end.
