CANONS
The idea that there is no canon is a bit silly at times. It's not that we don't have any. It's that we have a multitude which touch, cross, and dip into each other. It's up to you, as the reader, to decide what you believe and what you embrace as the heart of the universe. That doesn't mean, though, that authors lack intent or design, and collaboration is the heart of innovation.
Collected below are links to the recognized, shared canons of the SCP Foundation Universe. To write in one, you should make sure that you read the other material from that canon and try to remember that these things are connected. If you're interested in forming your own canon, read the information at the bottom of the page.
|
Table of Contents
|
Between the gunslingers, the snakes, and the anomalies, there's a good chance you might die in the old west. But there's also a chance you'll find your fortune. Don't matter much. Just put your money on the table and play the hand you're dealt.
The union has seen fit to give the survivors of the Razing a sum of 50 dollars and the promise of land in the west. I will myself go there to find my fortune or my death. As I enter this new period of my life, I would like to thank you for your patronage. If you are to ever find yourself in Riddle, Wyoming, pass me by without a word. I do not wish to be reminded of this chapter of my life.
From "Aces and Eights" by Doctor Cimmerian
Earth is abandoned. The Veil is gone. Humanity is interplanetary. The world is changing and there is only one place left to go: the stars.
To an outside observer, D-type asteroid 86235 Holt looks like an unspectacular dull red blot in the midsts of the ice orbiting through Uranus' ζ ring. But Ji-yeong has a prospector's eye and the knack for resource extraction one would expect from a former Luna Korean ice miner. She can list what you'd find in 86235 Holt — all the frozen water and organic-rich silicates — without batting an eye. Several minutes ago she did just that.
From "25/12/2047" by NatVoltaic
Stories about virtual people making a virtual difference.
Please don't feel that way. I know it's big and scary… I wish you could see the courage that I see in you.
From "Null-terminating String" by LurkD
The Antarctic Exchange is a canon which focuses on the lives and relationships of the researchers from the Third Antarctic Empire during their time at the Foundation.
It was enough that everyone looked and acted so different; still he stood out so much that sometimes the people here would turn away, would whisper to themselves about him, his companions, their tasks, their work. Antarctica. Empire. Emissaries. Secrets. Antarctica. He could both hear and understand them, but he wasn’t sure if he should let them know.
From "Impressions" by Zyn
The discovery of an ancient anomaly upends the balance between the anomalous and the Foundation. As Humanity becomes a race of gods and global order falls, the Foundation and its enemies must decide how much they're willing to sacrifice to achieve their ideals.
Magic has infinite manifestations, sources, and rules, none of which universally apply. Except one. Everything has a cost. Nothing is free. Humanity is ascending, perhaps all the way to godhood. What price will be asked of us for this? What will happen when we can't afford to pay it?
From "A New Age of Magic" by Modern_Erasmus
Thousands of years after the end of the world, humanity has to deal with the remnants of the SCP Foundation's unfinished work.
If anyone could get you from one city to another, it was him (extra if he'd been outcast by the locals). If you wanted a relic from the old places, he knew where you could buy it, or, if the price was right, he'd fetch you one himself. The waterskin at his side was empty. Water was plentiful in the Waste, and it was one less thing to weigh him down. The real problem was food. Nothing grew in the waste. There were occasional birds and animals crossing the damp sands, but no trees or grasses of any sort.
The Beller knew the Waste well.
From "The List Of Wonders" by DrEverettMann
What was hidden now is seen. How will the Foundation survive in a world where secrecy is no longer an option?
"…day five of the rescue effort, and more bodies are being recovered from the ocean. Initial estimates put the death toll in the million range, with increases occurring constantly. The UN released a statement about the recent North Korean Incident, claiming that they believed it was 'an act of nature'. The recent leak of classified documents from the Japanese Diet pointing towards a theft from what is referred to as 'The Foundation' suggests a different story…"
From "Joseon" by Arlecchino
Josephine, a powerful reality bender, has been evading the Foundation using a combination of stealth and covert warfare, including memory manipulation on a wide scale. But deep within the Foundation, a small cadre works to capture her… if possible.
The next few moments were forever etched into Caleb’s memory. He heard the snap as the rope broke, and saw the little girl on her knees directly below it. He tried to call out to her, but even in that instant, he knew it wouldn’t do any good. He saw the crate falling, faster and faster, getting ever closer to the girl’s head…
… and then it wasn't.
From "The Green Prince" by giant enemy spycrab
As the clash of communist and capitalist envelopes the world, the most covert organization on earth sinks deeper into hiding. What does it take to stay neutral in the face of governments who see the anomalous as just another means of escalation? How do agents react when loyalty to party clashes with duty to humanity? And just where should the Foundation go to escape a global war?
My beloved Dorothy,
There is a whole new war here, a new type of war, industrial and implacable. The American war machine has become unrecognizable.
Out in the jungle bear-clawed women hunt the Viet Cong through their own tunnels for hours before emerging. Airborne commandos on interdiction patrols carry weapons which calcify their targets in the blink of an eye. Villages suspected of sheltering the enemy are plastered in napalm that collects itself into a moving mass of fire and waits for survivors to emerge from cover before flaring back into life…
From "They Will Leave Us With a Shaken Earth" by Vezaz
The end of the world is here. But it's not just one end of the world. It's all of ends of the world happening at once, competing with each other, with the Foundation - and humanity - in the middle.
The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. bodeboop. A single lap should be completed every time you hear this sound. ding. Remember to run in a straight line and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark. Get ready! Start.
"That's what makes the things real. The breakthroughs, the moments, the momentary lapses in madness. Pop the cork and my bottle overfloweth with hatred and motherfucking anger."
From "Conservation of Momentum" by Randomini
Six hundred years ago, the world ended. Today, only one group protects the secrets of the ancient world until a time when they can be understood again; the priests of the Holy Foundation.
"Saint Gears, please guide me in my time of need as you guided the Holy Foundation during the Great Breach.
Bequeath unto me the knowledge to discover that which is false.
Grant unto me the ability to separate logic from falsity.
Allow me to grasp but a portion of the knowledge you once had."
From "Quid Est Non Scitum" by Jekeled
With Herman Fuller gone, the Freaks are running the Circus now. Flaunting the veil of normalcy and somehow always narrowly avoiding the clutches of the Essie P, Geo Sea and Insurgent Sea, The Circus of the Disquieting provides a sanctuary for anomalous humanoids while offering people a glimpse of what lies behind the Masquerade.
Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages, Herman Fuller's Circus of the Disquieting is proud to announce our new Master of Ceremonies. She started off as just another runaway, but through sheer talent and determination she's clawed her way up from magician, to Clown, to troupe leader and now to the Ringmaster of the Circus itself! I give you the beautiful, the astonishing, the magical Icky!
From the Dread & Circuses Hub, by DrChandra
Death is the promise that all of the hardships we face will, at some point, come to an end. But what if death did not keep its promise? If the hardships just kept coming? We would have no choice but to persevere through them. Forever.
The presenter was smiling. 'A miracle', she called it. Joyce couldn't manage a smile — the only thing on her mind was the amount of work that lay ahead.
From "ΩK" by Croquembouche
Tales from the Horizon Initiative and other things of a theological nature.
The biggest problem, Salah thought, was how one went about killing a god. You could burn its scriptures, wipe out its worshipers, kill its avatars, but that would only ever delay it. Eventually it would come back, whispering, and the whole cycle would begin again. It could wait forever.
From "Second Watch" by Djoric
Alchemy. Deeply misunderstood, and often mocked. Alchemy is responsible for more around us than anyone knows. The Foundation Alchemy Department is well aware of this. Their mission is to contain the threats that most of the Foundation don't even believe exist. Threats from the distant past come back to haunt our present.
"Ruslav's voice rang out like thunder, and he pulled his hands to his sides, his fists clenched. "YOU WILL NOT DISRUPT OUR WORK, TODAY. I PUSH YOU BACK TO WHENCE YOU ARE. BEGONE SCARLET KING!" With a sudden crack of thunder the building energies flowed into the iron circle, grounding harmlessly into the hand-forged iron. The laughter turned to a snarling sound of pain, as the chains around the entity went taut again, pulling it tight. All went quiet, except for Elder Adebayo's chanting."
From "Finding Balance" by DrMagnus
Protecting Humanity, Whether It Likes It Or Not.
Note that execution of Procedure Pizzicato will, by necessity, result in an irreversible Second Mission (Concealment) failure in order to allow for a First Mission (Survival) success. Third Mission (Protection) goals are secondary: normal avoidance of civilian casualties is to be second priority to maintaining Minimum Repopulation Margin among the survivors.
From "Procedure Pizzicato" by Dr. Clef
The Gulf was aflame. This was going to push our little Task Forces to the limit.
Kate’s heart was beating so loud she could hear it. The wind chimes were louder, too. But she wanted to see what the other side — the Everything Under Everything – what it looked like. What Mackenzie saw in her nightly prayers outside. Kate, wide-eyed, nodded.
From "I Double E" by Kate McTiriss
Before the ages of iron and steel, there once arose a great and deathless Empire. When it fell, the nations of the worlds trembled and breathed a sigh of relief, for the demon of Flesh had finally been conquered.
But it never truly fell. Like a cancer, it only went into remission.
And this shall be a sign unto you: that when the Thorn of God is held once more in the hands of the Faithful, Ion shall be birthed again upon the world in fire and blood.
From "Et Ecce Equus Pallidus" by MalyceGraves & N_aepic_fael
We all laughed, but it's not funny anymore.
Jacob stared up at the towering glass and marble building in front of him. It had twenty-nine stories, just as he had imagined it, topped with three huge letters, maybe 9.144 meters tall. It was heaven.
From "New Kid On The Block" by Anaxagoras
The being known as Nobody is akin to a force of nature: his actions are unpredictable and his methods unclear. His purpose and true identity are a mystery to all, including himself. But when they are achieved, he will vanish. This has already happened at least once.
He paused and stared briefly at his own face in the mirror, trying to remember if anything about it looked familiar. Again, and as always, nothing was. He sighed. "Well, it doesn't pay to wonder. Off to work I go." He straightened his jacket one last time, solemnly tipped his hat to the empty room, and stepped through the doorway.
From "Prelude: A Terminus" by Drewbear
The Old Man in the Sea is a series of stories focusing on a race of space-faring biological arks, and the effects they have on the universe- such as those that one in particular, SCP-169, has on Earth.
Eventually, I will expire. That great impact shortens our lifespan, and the growth of a civilization within us does nothing to alleviate this. Eventually, those creatures within me will find an exit. Everything will change.
From "Eden" by Snowshoe
The melody of life sings in the minds and hearts of the multitude. The world goes out not with a bang, or a whimper, but with a symphony.
It must be music. Life and death codified in sound where words cannot.
From "The Journal of K. M. Sandoval" by WrongJohnSilver and LadyKatie
At the edge of the mind lurks something that prays for the death of definition. It has been on the retreat for some time now, as the world has become a knowable, mapped place, no longer brimming with demons. Watch for it where knowledge lies, seeking to unmake everything known.
The word was carved into a rock. The man stood above it and, in the bottom of his mind, felt something stir. He did not know that he had just changed the course of all worlds, but he could feel something was different. The world had become a bit more orderly.
From "The Tale of the Library" by Rumetzen
Contingency Planning Operation approved. Codename designation "Project Heimdall". Research potential means by which extraterrestrial intelligence displaying vigorous, active hostility to human life and/or civilization might attempt to conquer, enslave, or exterminate humanity. Analyze likely outcomes. Develop countermeasures and contingency plans. Report findings to O5 Council when complete.
"General, the chances of anything coming to wipe us out are a million to one," Rex replied smugly.
From "We Have Dismissed That Claim" by Hornby
Rat's Nest is set in a universe where reality is falling apart due to the absence of LTE 0913, an energy being that had perpetuated our reality up until its destruction.
Friendship and spirit did nothing to prevent this. Their ideals, aspirations, and the hearts that birthed them could not produce the strength they needed. Respect and duty had long fell to the wayside, far from the binding contracts that they were thought to be. In the end, nothing they really believed in could’ve saved them…
From "Senescence, Consumption, Persecution" by SoullessSingularity
A reconstruction and "resurrection" of the original "central storyline" of the SCP Foundation.
"It's me," she called. "SCP-105. They're dead." She dropped the gun, kicked it forward, and then knelt down with her hands on the back of her head until the agents got her and took her to safety.
From "Immediate Actions" by DrEverettMann
Life is like a hurricane here in Sloth's Pit. The people at Site 87 are just trying to make sense of it.
“Reminder;” the intercom squealed at lunch; “Pumpkin Spice flavored beverages are strictly prohibited in light of the recent containment of E-8820. For details, please see Site-87 general mail 'Re: Subcutaneous Ginger', sent last Wednesday. Department heads, please forward to your teams.”
Grant looked down at his coffee and was very nearly sick. No one else dumped their drinks.
From "Leafers" by FortuneFavorsBold
Site-17 Director and grown-ass man Benjamin Kondraki has a problem.
Kondraki rushed back into his bedroom. There was the sound of some rummaging around in the closet. He came out wearing a black trench coat with a gigantic, tent-shaped bulge in the front at crotch level. "Wow," he said flatly. "This sure did help a lot. No one will notice anything wrong now, yes siree-bob."
From "Third Date" by DrClef
People come to power. Other people get hurt. It doesn't matter if it belongs to a conceptual embodiment or a Site Director, power seems to breed injury at Site-17, and people have started to notice. Old structures are groaning beneath the weight of their antiquity, and it's up to a few of researchers and SCPs to survive the coming crash.
As with the public and the Foundation, the true arbiter of ethics is the one with the bigger stick. My stick, in this case, is the latent memetic agents scattered through this email and the Class-A amnestics currently flooding your office space. I really did enjoy working with you on the SCP-4415 project, Natalie. I could see why Tonya fancied you so.
Best wishes,
Dr. Thomas Graham, Director of Site-17
From "SCP-4415" by Nagiros
Five cyborg commando catgirls. One guy in a bathrobe. One spaceship. Space is infinite.
[Boss: The lone surviving member of an inbred clone clan onboard a gigantic ancient spaceship is not the weirdest thing we have dealt with.]
From "Stealing Solidarity: Phase 3" by Djoric
Mankind reached for the stars only to have the ground pulled out from under them. The United Earth Fleet is on a course for home.
"There were eighteen of us on that ship- Twelve from the Foundation, six from the GOC. Eleven came back, four of those, myself included, in need of serious medical treatment. Two died in hospital on Minerva Base. The Fyodorov had a crew of 45, not including the captain. I don't know who gave the order to fire on the Nikolai Fyodorov. I know the flight recorder was damaged. I don't particularly care. They were right to do so."
From "The First 55" by Von Pincier
The anomalies of today are the cutting edge of tomorrow. The impossible never stays that way. Welcome to the future.
"Good thing too, or it might have fried your brains. That would have put an end to your nascent hivemind real quick."
From "The Analog Kid" by GreenWolf
Strange things are done in the Northwest Rains. From the extradimensional antics of Three Portlands, to the cybernetic reign of Anderson Robotics, to a bizarre partnership with Wilson's Wildlife Services, it's up to the fine folks of Site-64 to keep everything contained.
"She then turned her attention back to the sunset and took a deep breath. The smell of pine trees and sea salt filled her nostrils. In the distance, a group of people flew through the skyline on broomsticks. Nearby, a friendly looking pair of young men were putting on a magic show for a group of children, fantastic figures of light and sound dancing around for the little one’s amusement. Distant music could be heard among the hustle and bustle of people of all sorts enjoying the dying light."
From "Make Portland Weirder" by Jacob Conwell
Nazis, Old Gods, bugs, and money: the road to Gehenna is paved with good intentions.
Darryl Loyd wasn't a very inquisitive man by nature; he'd add that he'd never been, but he wasn't quite sure how much of his life he'd actually lived. Oh, fine, he was (usually) a researcher, and they were pretty inquisitive about science. After all, that's what researchers do: research. But when it came to the metaphysical questions that plagued his mind, like "am I me, or just a collection of my cells?", "how can one be moral in an existence where the only meaning in the universe is what one makes of it?", or "who created me, and how can I demand a refund?", Darryl Loyd preferred not to think about it too hard.
From "The Last Things Dr. Darryl Loyd Ever Did, in Chronological Order" by UraniumEmpire
We've always assumed the SCP Foundation was a necessary evil. But what if it wasn't?
When they've finished their brief conversation, Tang raises her forefinger to the anomaly, and right through the hole between worlds, the two scientists touch hands.
From the Gateway Contact Center in Terre Haute, I'm Stephen Fleischer. This is NPR.
From "All Things Considered" by Photosynthetic
We're gonna need a bigger boat.
By the time we made it to Hy-Brasil, the city had already descended into chaos and ruin. The storm was bad enough to cause panic, and then a fire-breathing squid monster crawled out of the ocean. It was a recipe for disaster, and that is what happened.
From "LTE-0851-Cetus", by stormbreath
+[[SIZE 65%]]What a Wonderful World
The world sucks. No, really, it does. But we don't have to suck just because the world sucks. We can make the world a better place. It's cliche, but it's true. And Wondertainment is trying to do just that, one step at a time.
Judy pulled the safety bar off of herself, grabbed her backpack from the luggage compartment on the side of the massive worm-like vehicle, and then struck up a cheery step while emerging into the assault on the senses that was Wonder World!™ proper! The buildings dived and swam and bubbled to create all shapes but what supposed normal buildings looked like, instead opting for archways and gem-like structures, things that looked like they were built from yarn, glass orbs with little to no foundations, and all different assortments of Dali-esque abstractions.
From "And I Think To Myself…" by DarkStuff
