SCP-3514
The Moment of the Mahdi and the Moment of the Mortal
A 17th century painting of an SCP-3514-1 event.1
Special Containment Procedures
As of 22/12/1973, SCP-3514 has come under the control of the Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts (ORIA). Access to and containment of SCP-3514 is therefore unfeasible at present. Due to the low threat level of the anomaly and the apparent competence of ORIA in keeping the anomaly hidden from the general public, the restoration of control over SCP-3514 is considered a low priority.
Description
SCP-3514 refers to a 2 km2 area in northwestern Iran, corresponding to the location of the 16th century Battle of Chaldiran. SCP-3514's primary anomalous effects activate at approximately ██:██ each day, and continue until ██:██, which matches the time of day during which the battle took place. This activity is henceforth referred to as an SCP-3514-1 event.
An SCP-3514-1 event begins with the manifestation of intangible representations of the combatants present at the battle, arranged in a manner believed to match the armies at the beginning of the real battle. These representations are henceforth referred to as SCP-3514-2 instances. The SCP-3514-2 instances then engage in combat, apparently recreating a version of the Battle of Chaldiran. These representations can only physically interact with one another and are unaware or unwilling to respond to any external stimulus.
Despite this set-up, the course of the battle alters with each SCP-3514-1 event. Although some SCP-3514-1 events follow the course of the battle closely, at other times a radically different outcome occurs, ranging from the death of Shah Isma'il2 to the complete routing of the Ottoman forces. At times, SCP-3514-2 instances representing apparently supernatural or mythical figures have appeared, including the Shi'ite figures of 'Ali and Hosayn, and Shahnama3 characters such as Rostam, Gordafarid and Zal. At the end of the SCP-3514-1 event, the SCP-3514-2 instances all abruptly disappear.
Some examples of notable variations within the SCP-3514-1 event are detailed below. Note that the first three of these occasions took place before the development of practicable devices for recording sound or film, and the reports did not always possess the same level of observational rigour found in more modern reports.
| Date | Variation Taking Place |
|---|---|
| 18/09/1886 | First observed Safavid victory and first time a major deviation from the events of the historical battle was observed. Isma'il's forces attacked the Ottoman forces before the Ottomans set up their chain-linked line of cannons in the centre, cutting through their lines and killing Selim.4 |
| 20/06/1888 | An Ottoman victory, and the first observed occasion upon which the SCP-3514-2 instance representing Isma'il was killed. During a charge into the Ottoman lines, an Ottoman bullet appeared to hit Isma'il "around the head or neck area", killing him almost instantly and prompting a complete Safavid rout. |
| 01/04/1913 | A "great celestial body", in the words of observing researchers, appeared above the battlefield. An "extremely tall and well-built" SCP-3514-2 instance descended from this object. All of the Safavid combatants then prostrated themselves before the instance, chanting the name "'Ali" repeatedly. The SCP-3514-2 instance then appeared to "destroy" all of the Ottoman combatants. Most of the remainder of the SCP-3514-1 event was taken up with "wild and extravagant celebrations" on the part of the Safavid combatants and the "'Ali" instance until one hour before the end of the event. At this point, the "'Ali" instance abruptly disappeared, and the Safavid combatants wept and beat the ground for the remainder of the event. |
| 23/08/1937 | First observed event where battle did not take place. Instead, the only SCP-3514-2 instances who manifested were the Safavid combatants, who repeatedly attacked and appeared to fatally wound the SCP-3514-2 instance of Shah Isma'il. The Isma'il instance appeared to suffer extreme pain, but did not expire from its wounds. The assailants reputedly chanted the words "false murshid!"5 repeatedly while doing so. |
| 17/11/1965 | Second observed event where battle did not take place. Instead, SCP-3514-2 instances representing all 9 Shahs of the Safavid dynasty prior to the fall of Isfahan appeared instead of the combatants. These representations all spoke continuously for the duration of the SCP-3514-1 event, giving what seemed to be accounts of percieved failures which occurred during their lifetimes. Most of the SCP-3514-2 instances were continuously crying ordinary tears, with the exception of the SCP-3514-2 instances representing Isma'il I, Safi I, Abbas II and Suleiman I, all of whom appeared to be crying red wine.6 |
SCP-3514-3 is an intangible representation of an individual claiming to be Shah Isma'il. SCP-3514-3 has the appearance of a man in his mid-30s with red hair and unkempt facial hair, ordinarily dressed in silk robes in a state of disrepair. This instance is separate from the SCP-3514-2 instances resembling Shah Isma'il as part of SCP-3514-1 events. It is classified separately as it appears to demonstrate awareness of external stimuli in addition to being present outside of SCP-3514-1 events. SCP-3514-3 is difficult to converse with, often speaking in incoherent fragments and only occasionally attaining lucidity.
SCP-3514-3 claims to be the creator and controller of SCP-3514-1 events. This has not been confirmed, but occasional utterances by SCP-3514-3 demonstrate an awareness of future SCP-3514-1 events. SCP-3514-3 ordinarily speaks in a 16th century dialect of Azeri, but apparently understands Persian, Gilaki and possesses at least some knowledge of Classical Arabic. SCP-3514-3 is located on top of the nearby hill of ████████, which provides an excellent view of SCP-3514-1 events. Ordinarily, SCP-3514-3 can be found sitting or occasionally pacing within the immediately surrounding area.
SCP-3514 first came to the Foundation's attention in 1886, when the Qajar authorities requested aid in the anomaly's containment. Based on the testimony of SCP-3514-3, SCP-3514 is believed to have been created sometime after the death of Shah Isma'il in the early 16th century.
On 22/12/1973, the Office for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts (ORIA) was alerted to the existence of SCP-3514, and swiftly moved in to contain it. It was discovered through documents stolen during an ORIA incursion into Site ██. Due to the limited Foundation presence in Iran, holding the anomaly against ORIA was considered unfeasible, and the Foundation withdrew upon ORIA's request without incident.