Seeking Greenlights: Yes
Page Type: SCP Article
Genre (Optional): History
Page Layout (Optional): Interviews, document references and incident logs to be included.
Elevator Pitch: The city of Mainz (Germany) gathers annually during the Pentecost day for a party in which the citizens anomalously change their behaviour as if they were in the 12th century for a day. After some incidents, the Foundation intervenes only to provoke this change to become permanent.
Central Narrative: During the Pentecost day in Mainz, its citizens celebrate the festivity in a location in the vicinity, in which upon access of the place, they show an altered behaviour proper of the Western European nobility in the 12th century. Specifically, they demonstrate moral values related with extreme religiosity, a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners, and a firm code of honour; they express themselves in either Latin or Middle High German; as well as self-identificate to any of the rank distinctions typical of a High Middle Age court. During this event, they assemble an improvised fair site in which they participate in equestrian tournaments (melée and/or jousts), ceremonies to declare loyalty to their 'feudal lord', and heavy amounts of beer drinking. By the following day, the citizens involved have no memories of these events, but they keep a strong positive feeling about it.
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Live-recordings of research personnel present during this event showed these anomalous effects. a task force burst into the gathering, disbanding all attendants. In contrast to previous years, they keep the memories and the behaviour displayed during the period afterwards until the next Pentecost day. Chaos ensues due to the cultural clash with modern Germany.
In the next Pentecost day, affected population gathers again, live-recordings show that the activities performed are exactly the same as in the previous year. Once the celebration finishes, all attendants return to a contemporary behaviour and no memories of the previous year, albeit a positive feeling about it. Foundation is discouraged to interrupt this event.
Foundation tests if they altogether stop population to attend the celebrations by fencing and posting security personnel around the usual fair site. Instead, attendants relocate towards the nearby town of Ingelheim, where they start building a fair site. Upon completion, an electrical thunderstorm anomalously appears and burns it down, while the Rhein river flow grows until flooding completely the site, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The extraneous nature of this encourages the Foundation to allow the event occurring at the usual location in Mainz.
Later recording logs interviews a humanoid entity appearing as a monk named Konrad, who seems to be the responsible of these events. Back in 1184, Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire Barbarossa hosted a huge fest in that very same location. By law, Konrad was to be seated to the left of the Kaiser during the ceremonies, however he was substituted in a political move by the Archbishop of Cologne. Resentful, he condemned the dishonour, ensuring that that day would be repeated over and over until the Kaiser rectified his mistake.
Hook/Attention-Grabber: This is a story about cultural clash in the time dimension, however by bringing a large past population to the current days. More importantly, it is a story about resentment and, literally, holding a grudge.
Additional Notes: Based on the 1184 Mainzer Hoftag. Kaiser Barbarossa might be SCP-125-DE.
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CLASSIFIED
Location near Mainz, Germany.
Special Containment Procedures: [Paragraphs explaining the procedures]
Description: [Paragraphs explaining the description]
Addendum: [Optional additional paragraphs]
Interviewed: [The person, persons, or SCP being interviewed]
Interviewer: [Interviewer, can be blocked out using █]
Foreword: [Small passage describing the interview]
<Begin Log, [optional time info]>
Interviewer: [speech]
Person: [speech]
[Repeat as necessary]
<End Log, [optional time info]>
Closing Statement: [Small summary and passage on what transpired afterward]
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