Shadows in the Cave - Notes on an Incursion - Seeing By Another's Light
Good morning and I hope you had a great long weekend! As requested, I’ve put together a general report and summary of our work with the latest prospect I’ve been working with for the past few months. As I said on Thursday, they’re fascinating and have some potential as a resource but (even leaving aside my own squeamishness) I don’t think we can responsibly consider them for full sponsorship. Still, probably a relationship worth maintaining?
The Fellowship of the Radiant Unveiling (also referred to as the Radiant Path, the Church of New Light, or simply as Radiants) is a small but flourishing non-denomination spiritual and mindfulness movement of the kind that have always made the Pacific Northwest such a culturally vibrant region. With the Anderson Trust’s generous funding and support, they have been able to establish mindfulness centers and lodges for spiritual retreats across four states. Their senior leadership has demonstrated real foresight and diligence in who they partner with and how they invest, and their future as an organization is (pardon the pun) incredibly bright.
Their leadership has been sincere and enthusiastic in their gratitude for our facilitating that support and pointing them towards the right grants and programs to apply for (none of them are really naturals at this sort of bureaucracy and paperwork, which unfortunately means we’ll probably need someone permanently assigned to managing the relationship). They are unfortunately (but understandably!) suspicious about our motives, and seem to seesaw a bit between thinking of me as a dangerous mercenary and just a particularly generous and helpful new client ; despite that ambivalence, I have had the incredible privilege of participating in some of their most sacred rites and ceremonies.
Your hunch was absolutely, 100% correct. There are somewhere between three and five lanterns, discovered more than thirty years ago by the Fellowship’s founders. They burn without fuel, and emit no smoke. The light they cast reveals a whole new world, and not an empty one.
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THREAT SILVERED DEE is a form of FOREIGN influence that manifests on reflective surfaces. Known examples of SILVERED DEE include:
Mirrors (hand, standing, bathroom)
Windows (casement, bay, ribbon)
Water (lake, subterranean)
SILVERED DEE has been observed by AGENTS of D-, L-, and R-CELLs, across the United States and beyond. Its causes are unknown, but once present in a location it buds and spreads organically to viable surfaces that can house it. It shows no signs of being able to control how it spreads, or of true awareness or intelligence in general.
If an OPERATION seems to involve SILVERED DEE, standard operating procedure is:
Limit time spent observing SILVERED DEE as much as possible
Minimize the number of AGENTS and civilians who observe SILVERED DEE at all
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The Teiresion Effect is an unusually stable hypogeomtric phenomenon that has been observed in several locations across North America, Europe and South and East Asia. Following the events of January 2019, and considering the very real possibility that the Effect could be leveraged to achieve Contact, a compartmentalized branch of the Orpheus Project has been established to study the Effect. Research is tentatively promising but security threats remain a major concern, and we have yet to fully recover from the setbacks suffered during the transition.
The Effect is hypothesized to emerge from complex informational networks subjected to certain types of exotic radiation. It has to date only been observed on screens showing digital camera feeds in (or close to) real time: video conferencing or streaming software and security camera monitors make up the overwhelming majority of known organically occurring cases.
The Teiresion Effect occurs in stages, first effecting inanimate objects in the background or out of focus on the display. The effects are in some way anthromorphic, with the alterations occurring to what’s displayed clearly being in some way influenced by the subconscious fears and anxieties of the viewers. Despite this, the effect remains constant when viewed by multiple witnesses simultaneously, and when recorded (on a separate, air-gapped device) can be viewed without issue at a later time.
The effect must be strong and sustained for the Contact candidates to appear. Their exact appearance varies wildly, but they are inevitably humanoid, tall, gangly, and have either a mask or face that is rigidly bonelike, ivory-white, and dominated by an exaggerated smile.
Despite the extreme realism of what is displayed, nothing that occurs on a video subject to the Teiresion Effect in any way affects the people or things ostensibly being recorded. The sole exception to this is if a video stream continues for long enough that the creatures cause the death of a human (or a subset of other animals, excluding most commercial livestock and including but not necessarily limited to certain cetachans and great apes). In that case, the subject of the video is suddenly and dramatically replaced by their cadaver, in whatever state and whatever location the video feed might show.
Despite (and a piece of evidence against) their potential extraterrestrial origins, the creatures display an incredibly thorough knowledge of human anatomy and various natural tolerances. Review of over a dozen security recordings recovered from Hemdallar Labs give an average of between eight and ten hours between an experimental subject being subdued or restrained and their death.
Given the usual condition of the subject by the time this occurs, referencing the recordings of what occurred is often a necessity when identifying the bodies.
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The lanterns are at the very core of the Fellowship’s belief system, and the focus of their most private and sacred rituals. They believe their ochre light reveals the true nature of both people and things; or at least, that it unveils every flaw and imperfection to the naked eye. You can call what it makes initiates (or, in my case, friendly visitors) look like the world’s most unflattering camera - highlighting everything that they should cut away from themselves as they approach enlightenment, to the point of true grostesquerie. Interacting by lantern-light and encouraging each other in self-improvement by pointing out and sharing their reactions to each others’ ‘true selves’ is a key way fully initiated Radiants socialize and bond.
The belief that they have access to the fundamental truth of reality is harmless enough when they’re just analyzing their own shadows (and, being brutally honest, this isn’t a group who would really be helped by a lecture on Unmoved Movers and the different choirs and emanation. I made some polite implications and none seem very intrigued by the idea of a fuller metaphysical picture.) This issue (and the opportunity!) comes from the spirits who already live in the state of being revealed by the lanterns. The Radiants call them demons, which isn’t that wrong, and testers, which very much is.
They’re a lesser emanation, parallel to and a few steps below humanity in spiritual magnitude. They’re also obligate sadists. I don’t know whether it's what they eat or just an addiction, but they are unable to resist a chance to cause pain. To things of our state of being, especially (and I’d really love to see if we can steer the Fellowship away from animal sacrifice, going forward? At least when I’m visiting). They can’t perceive or touch our world beyond the lantern's light, and when one’s lit they start running to it like moths to a flame (no matter how far they have to run or what doors they need to batter open to get to it). They’re no less intelligent than any other native to the Lower Depths (more than most!) but they don’t understand English, and despite appearances their faces’ don’t really have mouths to speak with.
I know you’ve got your mandate Brooke, but I really think the opportunity here is the Radiants and maybe the lanterns’ other possibilities (doors and walls that don’t exist when you shine the light on them, illnesses and injuries that turn into visible, removable parasites, etc). The literal kitten-torturing demons seem to be specifically the class of spirit we’re trying not to welcome in and get people living with.
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SILVERED DEE is dangerous mentally and spiritually, as everything seen through surfaces infected by it is warped by FOREIGN power to distract and traumatize. Absolutely do not react to the expressions or pose of fellow AGENTS or vetted civilians as seen through SILVERED DEE. Also do not react to the appearances of strange sores, injuries, or any signs of spontaneous physical mutilation or rot, or to the appearance of messages in the environment, no matter how realistic, targeted or persuasive they seem to be.
SILVERED DEE will attempt to shock and horrify you. Especially if you are armed or in a position to easily harm other humans, it is imperative you not react to it. Always remember that it is not capable of directly harming you in any immediate way.
The danger begins when SILVERED DEE realizes something is looking at it. Images are easy, but creating FOREIGN entities that can harm reality seems to take it time and effort. Whatever it does, the more people that are looking at it, the faster it can work.
SILVERED DEE’s weapons look almost human. It creates them with outfits and appearances that fit in with the surroundings, and they will attempt to blend in or to hide in the corner of your vision. If for some reason you can’t verify whose actually in the area SILVERED DEE is reflecting, you can identify the THREAT by
Dark clothing, degenerate fashion
Rigid, bone-white carapace instead of a face
Hands full of razorwire, handcuffs or knives.
SILVERED DEE is not an efficient or tactical monster, but it's aware that it can only easily affect those looking into it, and that it gets stronger the longer and the more humans do. The exact subtleties aren’t important, just assume that if you have been staring into SILVERED DEE for long enough to see one of the creatures, then it can touch (and hurt) you. You can also assume that it knows that, and that tying you down and restraining you so you’re incapable of looking away will be its first priority. Attempting to resist or attack them directly is pointless, as they don’t exist. .The injuries they inflict have no special properties, but they love cutting tendons and otherwise crippling victims to prevent their escape.
Luckily, SILVERED DEE is easy enough to deal with: shattering the reflective surface prevents it from tainting more victims and of spreading to any other surfaces. It also leaves you totally helpless to see any of the creatures its created to go after you, which is why SILVERED DEE should be strictly quarantined ASAP when encountered. Depending on how badly the situation has degenerated, drastic action might be necessary. Previous cases have required premeditated arson and the controlled collapse of a popular spelunking site to deal with.
Forward any sightings of SILVERED DEE to L-CELL for archiving and analysis ASAP.
Under absolutely no circumstances attempt to communicate or make a deal with SILVERED DEE or its creations.
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The Effect was first discovered - or at least seriously studied - by a private company in 2013. The company - founded by former members of a cult in Washington who stumbled upon a genuine hypergeometric phenomenon in the course of their enforced trauma-bonding - was quickly discovered and acquired by a representative of the Voundr Group. From 2018-2022 the company - refounded as Hemdallar Labs and relocated to an easier-to-support jurisdiction in central Texas - worked with significant funding and support from Volundr. Unfortunately, they failed comprehensively in auditing and oversight of corporate operations and in managing Hemdallar’s corporate culture. The Volundr associate handling the file proved entirely out of their depth in a crisis, and it was only at great risk and expense that any amount of Hemdallar’s research was recovered.
Among the - absolutely vital - information lost is what exactly catalyzed the fatal crisis. All that has been recovered is that at some time in late December 2022 or early January 2023, the Teiresion Effect cascaded across Hemdallar’s entire secure computer network and intranet. The paranoid security shown by the founders proved to be fatal; the security cameras and recording devices present in nearly every office, lab, or other room used by the company provided a deadly vector through which the Effect could reach almost everyone involved in Hemdallar as they returned from the holidays.
It is not clear why no one realized what was happening and forcibly shut down the cameras before it was too late. It has been theorized that the strength and concentration of the effect, and the sheer area it affected simultaneously, catalyzed some state change and allowed the Teiresion Entities to affect the material world more immediately and directly than is normally the case. Careful study of the recovered recordings also provides all the best evidence that the Entities are truly extraterrestrial in origin rather than an unusually persistent variety of Hypergeometric Infection - in the recordings they displayed surprising creativity, organization, tool use, and a passable knowledge of small unit tactics.
If they are intelligent extraterrestrials, they are also uniformly hostile and show no inclination towards non-hostile interaction with humanity - but the potential is tantalizing. If they are a truly extrahuman form of life, then they are one that exists on a roughly human scale and with roughly human capabilities - but despite this, one that seems perfectly capable of surviving in some organized way in some alternate dimension or phase of reality that is to all appearances entirely exposed to Hypergeometric radiation. Even if - as seems likely - they are incapable or uninterested in diplomatic contact, being able to directly study them would allow quantum leaps in nearly every area of the Nyx, Echidna and Daudelus Groups’ research.
Active studies are ongoing to study the incident and develop a way to reproduce this potential intelligence in a way consistent with the Orpheus Group’s ethical and safety guidelines. We have every expectation of making actionable progress by the end of the quarter.
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The Radiants think of their spirits as dangerous but intelligent, and able to make deals and do favors in exchange for sacrifices (birds and small mammals left trapped within the lantern-light for them being part of the approved ritual). They’re all very committed to their beliefs, and not particularly interested in explaining the mechanics of how the spirits can actually do any favors for anyone when they’re entirely cut off from the material world outside the lantern’s light. Which I would tentatively take as reason to think they can affect the world through some other means, but I’ve found no clues on exactly how, and my friends among the Fellowship have been unusually tight-lipped about it.
There’s one case we might be able to dig into, if anyone on your team has the capacity? The way I really convinced the inner circle of my good intentions and willingness to help was sourcing some unusual (and expensive) ritual materials. The ceremony they were for was elaborate (and gruesome) enough that I’m not too sad about not being invited, beseeching the spirits to hunt down and exact vengeance on a pair of apostates.
However it works, as of January it sounds like the things followed through. Or at least I was invited to the most enthusiastic and celebratory funeral I’ve ever seen a couple weeks afterward. I’ve got the names and photos of the two unlucky runaways to research, if it’s an angle you think is worth digging into, maybe send someone down to take a look? In a pinch, might be a tool we can use (but I have to emphasize that we should exhaust every other option before even thinking about it ; ethics aside, no one who was involved in the ritual seems willing or able to do it again any time soon).
Otherwise, I’ve developed some very solid relationships with initiates who are happy to do me (and the Trust) a favor now and then in recognition of how much help the grants have been. I’ve even connected with Justin and set up a track for a consistent long-term funding stream for as long as we think they’re net-positive to support. But fundamentally? I think we might need to cross them off as a false lead. The Radiants and their Spirits are interesting, potentially useful, sure.
But they aren’t spreading, they’re not any sort of transcendent being, and they aren’t going to end the world. They certainly aren’t going to be a positive influence on the world if we take the initiative to nurture them ourselves. So as soon as we have a permanent relationship manager assigned to the case and all the introductions made, I’m going to keep looking.
Take care Brooke, connect in person next time I’m in-state.
Cynthia Anderson, Anderson Heritage Trust
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