Subject-319465's History
**Designation:** Subject-319465
**Name:** The Cult of the Crowned Raven
**Object Class:** Keter
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**Special Containment Procedures:**
Subject-319465, also known as the Cult of the Crowned Raven, cannot be fully contained through physical means, as the entities manifest unpredictably across rural areas during specific times of the year. Observed manifestations occur primarily at dusk, coinciding with autumn equinoxes, though isolated appearances have been documented throughout the year. Containment teams must monitor areas with high raven activity and increased reports of missing persons.
When a manifestation is confirmed, containment teams are to establish a perimeter and prevent any civilian interaction with the figures. Personnel interacting with Subject-319465 must undergo post-operation psychological assessments. If individuals are found conversing with or receiving objects from the entities, they must be quarantined for further study.
Any artifact or offering taken from the cult members—referred to as "tokens of passage"—is to be stored in a secure anomalous storage unit and analyzed for residual anomalous properties. Direct contact with these artifacts is discouraged without proper thaumaturgical precautions.
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**Description:**
Subject-319465 is composed of three humanoid figures resembling large, anthropomorphic ravens adorned with ceremonial black robes. Each figure stands roughly 2.3 meters tall and carries objects of symbolic significance. One carries a silver chalice, another holds a pendulum-like object, and the third, crowned with a halo of jagged light, bears no visible item but often gestures with outstretched claws.
These figures appear to communicate silently, using subtle tilts of their heads and gestures, though on rare occasions, they are reported to whisper in unknown languages that induce trance-like states in listeners. Witnesses exposed to these murmurs report vivid dreams of vast, endless fields, the sensation of flight, or cryptic messages regarding “the balance of light and shadow.”
Subject-319465 exerts an influence over local raven populations, causing large flocks to gather wherever the figures appear. The ravens exhibit coordinated behavior, acting as scouts or messengers, and have been observed forming intricate patterns in flight. Individuals in proximity to the figures often report heightened paranoia, hallucinations, and a compulsion to follow the entities into remote areas.
The Cult of the Crowned Raven does not appear hostile unless provoked. However, those who engage in conversation or receive an object from the figures are marked, becoming what the cult refers to as "initiates." These initiates gradually lose their sense of identity, exhibiting strange behaviors such as mimicking bird calls, collecting shiny objects, and abandoning their former lives. Eventually, they disappear entirely, often leaving behind cryptic symbols or bird nests at the last known location.
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**Addendum 319465-A: Field Report**
On ██/██/20██, a manifestation was observed in the remote grasslands of █████. Containment teams were dispatched after reports surfaced of a gathering of ravens, forming spirals in the sky. Upon arrival, agents confirmed the presence of the three figures, which stood in a triangular formation at sunset. A civilian was found in their midst, speaking incoherently and holding a small silver feather. The figures turned toward the agents in unison but made no aggressive moves. When the agents attempted to extract the civilian, the crown-bearing figure raised its claw, and all electronic devices in the area ceased functioning for 17 minutes.
After the manifestation ended, the civilian was taken into Foundation custody. He exhibited erratic behavior, including speaking in a language not yet identified and crafting nests from twigs and fabric in his containment cell. Three days later, the civilian disappeared from a locked cell, leaving only a pattern of feathers and stones arranged in the shape of a raven's wing.
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**Interview Log 319465-B:**
**Interviewer:** Dr. █████
**Interviewee:** Agent Holt (Witness of Manifestation)
**Dr. █████:** "Describe what you saw when you encountered the crowned figure."
**Agent Holt:** "It... it didn’t speak, not with words. It tilted its head, and I swear I understood something—like a thought, but not mine. It showed me things: a field at dusk, a place where the sky never moves, and... something waiting there."
**Dr. █████:** "What was waiting there?"
**Agent Holt:** "I don’t know. Something... old. And it felt like it knew me. Like it had always known me."
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**Feats:**
- Subject-319465 can manipulate raven populations, using them for scouting and coordinated tasks.
- The entities’ presence induces psychological effects, including hallucinations, heightened paranoia, and identity erosion.
- Objects exchanged with the cult bear anomalous properties, including the ability to alter the recipient’s behavior and identity.
- Subject-319465 can disable electronic equipment and create localized reality distortions during manifestations.
- Individuals marked by the cult eventually vanish, leaving behind cryptic symbols or artifacts, suggesting transportation to an unknown location.
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Subject-319465, The Cult of the Crowned Raven, presents a significant threat due to its psychological influence and ability to alter human behavior. Its true motives remain unknown, but continued surveillance of raven populations is recommended to predict future manifestations.
