Nirudium

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Containment area is to be properly ventilated unless experiments are in progress. All personnel attempting to gain access to SCP-XXXX without prior approval are to be detained.

Description: SCP-XXXX is an ornate scepter dating to Victorian England according to the make found in a cave near ██████. The core is made of birch and the design of an eagle flying away with a rat in its claws is carved in. The scepter's core has a region that reads "Stay in your place scum." in the reader's primary language¹ The scratched or carved-in portions of the scepter are filled with a black fungus² that pulses red every 20 seconds. During the time the fungus pulses red it releases a hallucinogen that causes those who inhale the compound to hear a woman whispering in their ear; those affected report hearing the voice they hear state "Come my liege, take your scepter and rule." in their most-used language, typically these calls can easily be ignored as they last for duration of about 10 seconds before the brain becomes adjusted. Once a subject makes skin contact with the fungus³ on the scepter they are to be considered SCP-XXXX-1 and the subject will suffer three days of the fungus growing internally and feeling ill, 2 days of periodically feeling intense pains in their limbs due to their bones are being broken from the inside, after one day their broken bones will pierce through their skin with a layer of the fungus on it before the last day where they undergo a horrific transformation.

SCP-XXXX-1 appears to be the original subject but, their bones have been broken and later pierced through the skin by the fungus growing inside of them fractured in order to give the fungal spikes⁴ that erupts out of their body both an area to emerge. The subject's head may also go through a disfiguring process in which the head may be permanently turned upside down and portions of brain exposed due to the skull suffering these fractures and a fungal spike hasn't erupted out of that region. Despite these horrific disfigurements SCP-XXXX-1 has not suffered much damage to its higher level brain functioning keeping its memories, personality, and intellect partially intact. SCP-XXXX-1 is in a near constant state of excruciating pain. The fungus contained in SCP-XXXX seems to insert memories SCP-XXXX-1 "recall" that they were a member of rebellions that occurred during the Roman, Rashidun, and British Empires that was brutally put down.

Footnotes

1. Its effects were discovered when the recovery team had a small dispute over if the text was English, Spanish, or Arabic before the research team got ahold of it; the information given from an inspection made by a memetic research team shows that the text is actually a menagerie of scratches of different lengths and widths that cause the viewer to perceive them as writing.

2. After a sample of the fungus was taken it has been shown to have genetic similarities to members of the Ophiocordyceps genus.

3. During the first 3 days of infection the subject can be given antifungal medication in order to suppress SCP-XXXX's growth.

4. These spikes do not spread the fungus; it seems only the fungus contained in the staff can infect a host.