A REPORT

BY

OUTPOST SECURITY DIRECTOR EY.13 "ARTORIAS", "MARIA"

ON

UNSPEAKABLE #122 "AZKABAN" SECURITY UPDATE EXTRA

JULY 31 1994

LONDON

CONTENTS

Background 2

Present Risks 3

ICW Detention Facility Breach

Related Unspeakables

Possible Courses of Action 5

Outpost Containment Efforts

ICW Efforts

Organisation-level Containment Efforts

Conclusions 6

I. BACKGROUND

Unspeakable #122 "AZKABAN" is a semi-sentient spatial anomaly and containment facility present off the eastern coast of England in Earth Yastur. It was codified as an Unspeakable in 1703 and has been in use since 1718 as a maximum-security detention facility by the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW), Yastur. The facility is a large obelisk built in black stone (see relevant files). The creator and creation date of AZKABAN are unknown.

The initial exploration team reported powerful spatial manipulation present inside the facility. There are long-term spatial manipulations, which can fundamentally alter the internal structure of the facility, as well as short-term rearrangements. Short-term rearrangements are defined as internal reconfiguration that occur between routine patrols. This is believed to be evidence of sentience, as there are reports of certain 'favoured' agents being permitted shorter, more direct routes, as well as instances of 'disfavoured' agents going MIA.

Notable locations include #122-C, the "Upper Floor". This is a large open space with a spiral staircase. The ICW utilised this area for detention beginning in 1718. The routes have changed over time but the existence of the Upper Floor has remained consistent. The initial exploration team also discovered at least thirty (30) instances of Unspeakable #125 "DEMENTOR" residing in this area. Since 1718, the ICW has encouraged other naturally-occurring DEMENTORS to reside in the Upper Floor area. The "Lower Floor" is used by the British Ministry of Magic (MoM), Yastur, to house minor offenders.

Other locations of note include #122-D. The initial exploration team describes this area as a cramped staircase leading down six-point-six (6.6) kilometers, ending in a small room. The other side of the room, labeled #122-D1, has an archway that has since been bricked up. Four members of the initial team committed suicide in this room. A later exploration team discovered they had written messages on the walls. According to █████████████, these messages warned of cognitohazardous properties. The members later reported hearing voices of acquaintances, possessing knowledge previously believed to be private. Some individuals heard benign or benevolent messages, while others received malicious encouragements to commit violent suicide. The entrance to #122-D1 shifts short-term but often appears near the main entrance to AZKABAN if new visitors are present.

#122-F, called "THE DEEP" by stationed agents, is a downward passage. Unlike #122-D, it is broken up by flat corridors lined with prison cells. All prison cells are unoccupied. #122-F continues seemingly infinitely downwards. The sixth exploration team managed to reach a depth of approximately seven hundred and four (704) kilometers. They reported an anoxic environment with only the use of magical breathing aids ensuring their continued survival. Due to said environment, the bodies of unsuccessful explorers remained pristine and their exploration logs were recovered. All agreed that there was no end to #122-F, but no evidence of voices such as in #122-D1 was present. There was no evidence of life except for a seemingly non-magical anaerobic fungi titled #122-G which was recovered and presented to the research department.

#122 was affected by earthquakes every six (6) to fourteen (14) hours, which is believed to be unrelated to the internal shuffling.

II. PRESENT RISKS

On July 18, 1994, some time between 2100 to 2133 local time, a large spatial distortion formed around the island. At 2134, a loud noise "like a thunderbolt" was reported by all agents present in all watchtowers. Later investigation showed significant damage to the magical foundations of the facility. The semi-sentient entity was best described as "highly agitated" in the aftermath of this phenomenon.

A. ICW Detention Facility Breach

It has been reported that the internal structure of #122 has undergone significant remodelling, including #122-C. Investigating agents reported prisoners ███████████████████, ███████████████████, █████████████████, █████████████████, ████████████████████, ████ ███████, and ███████████████ murdered in their cells. ICW and MoM concluded murders as revenge killing due to their mutual connection to known terrorist organization "Death Eaters". Additionally, two other prisoners unrelated to said organization were reported missing with their cells, likely due to a reshuffling event.

Tentative conclusion is that the reshuffling event is unlikely to have a detrimental effect on maximum security prisoner containment. Consensus was reached with ICW and MoM to evacuate all minor offenders. Removal of major offenders without life sentences was considered, but the present risk to agents entering the compound was deemed too great.

B. Related Unspeakables

#122 has been hypothesised to be a containment facility for an unknown Unspeakable, hereafter referred to as Unspeakable X. Since July 18, the earthquakes that affect #122 have become more frequent, occurring once every two (2) to five (5) hours, and the quake is several magnitudes more powerful. Possibly as a response, #122 has conducted increasingly extreme internal reorganization events. While previously agents have described short-term rearrangements as "low-key" and "out of sight", they now claim that the landscape is shifting "before [their] very eyes." Of note, many surveying agents were confronted with #122-D upon entering the facility, and #122 was described as forcefully removing #122-D from sight. The entrance to #122-F could not be found.

On February 26, 1994, a visitor ███████████ confided in their guiding agent that they had previously seen the scripts found on the entrance of #122-D in the basement of Unspeakable #22 "HOGWARTS". Later reports confirm a Class XXXXX Magical Creature had been hibernating in this basement and was killed. Furthermore, in a chamber adjacent to where the script was found underneath #53, the Unspeakable #1077 was found. The nature of its construction is similar to #120, #442, #489, #606, #721, #903, and #1067 (the last of which, it should be noted, was discovered by the same individual who found #1077). This could imply a link between UE#023 and hypothetical Unspeakable X.

(ADDENDUM: An informal interview with Auror ████████████████, British MoM, Earth Yastur, revealed that the voices present in #122-D1 were heard passing by the entrance to #122-D while visiting an inmate. The guide in question did not hear the voices, and thus this incident went unreported - "MARIA")

Large numbers of #125 "DEMENTORS" have also gone missing since the event. Agents have not reported the escape of any DEMENTORS and these are thus presumed to be MIA within #122. The remainder do not appear to exhibit any behavioural changes in response to either the reconfiguration event or the disappearance of their fellows.

III. POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION

A. Outpost Containment Efforts

At the present level of manpower and resources possessed by Outpost EY.13 it is inadvisable to conduct any large-scale operations. As per protocol, a rapid response team was assembled to conduct an initial survey of the facility. The outcome was disastrous and the team suffered grievous losses. While some members have since managed to find their way out, it is unlikely that all agents have survived.

Standing orders are to ensure the containment of #125 DEMENTORS. Outpost EY.13 has agreed to work in concert with the MoM for the safe containment of detainees. Additionally, Outpost EY.7 has offered aid in determining the cause of the July 18 incident, which has been accepted. However, the current state of #122 does not lend to a thorough search and it is advised that an investigation be postponed until the arrival of reinforcements.

B. ICW Containment Efforts

The ICW response as of current has been lethargic and lackluster. While it is unlikely that they would renege on the ICW Charter of 1718, a reminder to the ICW from the Regional Security Director regarding the details of said contract would not go amiss.

Should the ICW provide the volunteer manpower to assist in the containment of DEMENTORS, Outpost EY.13 would be freed to prepare for a more comprehensive exploration of the facility. Assuming the Unspeakable X hypothesis is true, the cause of the incident and a method to re-engineer the defenses must be investigated as soon as possible. Assistance from the researchers of Outpost EY.7 will likely be crucial in this event.

It is likely that in closer cooperation, the ICW will discover the existence of a hypothetical Unspeakable X. To reduce friction and ward off the possibility of unhelpful intervention, the Outpost Security Director proposes key individuals of the ICW be notified of the possible scope of the threat at the discretion of the Regional Security Director.

C. Organisation-level Containment Efforts

If indeed hypothetical Unspeakable X is linked to UE#023 and the increasing turbulence of AZKABAN is evidence of Unspeakable X attempting to breach the reality of Earth Yastur, preparations should be made for civilian evacuation into alternate worlds with a sufficient degree of separation. Similar precautions may be necessary for Earth Yastur's immediate neighbors, particularly those with a strong UE#023 presence. In the event that our evacuation response is crippled, key civilian and military leaders of multiple worlds must be contacted with clear and detailed plans for survival and re-contacting the remnants of our syndicate.

IV. CONCLUSIONS

The Outpost-level analysis with input from researchers of Outpost EY.7 indicates that the probable long-term outcomes of the collapse of Outpost Earth-Yastur Thirteen are the severe degradation of Earth Yastur's ability to sustain industrialised human civilisation with recovery periods measured in, at minimum, millions of years. This conclusion is based on conjecture, as unknowable as these entities are. We may yet hope that the consequences of this incident are underwhelming and manageable. However, our organisation has not survived this long on optimism and our struggle against non-human threats has been consistently marked by tragedy. All avenues must be carefully considered should the situation arise that our organisation no longer possesses the means to guide and protect humanity.

POST SCRIPTUM

Ever since the original home of our organisation was turned to ash and glass, we have ever sought for relief from the threat of total collapse of civilisation and the complete extinction of our species. No relief will arrive. Despite the growing coalition of humanity, we have only found ourselves to be increasingly isolated in a hostile environment populated by at best indifferent, and at worst genocidal gods. Despite our drive to explore and make new friends, we have only encountered automated distress beacons floating through space with not even a tomb to memorialise their species. We are but the latest in a long line of once-proud peoples, brought low by the uncaring nature of the cosmos. Perhaps one day, another species may only find our pleas for help as proof of our passing. Or perhaps none will come after us, and our echoes will remain unheard until the heat death of our universe.

Humanity must survive.