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Item #: SCP-635
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-635 is contained at Reliquary Research and Containment Site-76, and should be contained within a lockbox on-site with desiccants to preserve the SCP until it is to be destroyed.
Description: SCP-635 is a cat-o'-nine-tails, made of goatskin with bits of painted pottery tied to the ends of the whip. The pieces of pottery, when fitted together, resemble a crude statue of a woman (almost certainly Mary, mother of Jesus in Christian tradition). Embossed on the handle of the whip is the Latin phrase, "Peccantem me quotidie, et non poenitentem, timor mortis conturbat me. Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio, miserere mei, Deus, et salva me." (Sinning daily, and not repenting, the fear of death disturbs me. Because there is no redemption in hell, have mercy on me, O God, and save me.)
When held by a subject of the Christian faith (denominations of Christianity have so far had no differing effects from each other), the subject will begin actively seeking self-injury as best they can, preferably with SCP-635 itself, but resorting to any means at hand when prevented from using the whip on themselves. While the subject is self-harming, they invariably chant for the entirety of the process until death, repeating a single phrase in monotone: "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis." (Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.) While self-flagellating, the subject does not seem to suffer from fatigue or blood loss, and persists in self-destructive until physically prevented from doing so, or death. The last intonation of the chant before death is altered slightly, the subject chanting, "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccati mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam." (Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, grant us rest eternal.)
When held by a subject of any other faith or no faith at all, the device has no noteworthy effects.
Addendum:
SCP-635's destruction is slated pending research into how the effect is achieved.
Experiment Log 635-1:
SCP-635 was placed on a table in Secure Containment Room 097 and D-class personnel were brought in to handle the object.
Subject D-18884, of Lutheran faith, was placed in a room with SCP-635 and told to take it. Upon doing so, the subject began scourging himself and chanting. Subject's self-abuse continued for one hundred eighteen minutes and thirty seven seconds before expiring. SCP-635 was cleaned and returned to the table by D-48455, an atheist, with no abnormal behavior observed.
Subject D-41123, of Jewish faith, was placed in a room with SCP-635 and told to take it. Subject did, standing as ordered for five minutes before being told to replace SCP-635 on the table. No abnormal effects were observed.
Subject D-97234, of Methodist faith, was placed in a room with SCP-635 with hands cuffed behind the subject's back. SCP-635 was placed into D-97234's left hand. Upon gripping SCP-635, the subject immediately began attempting to self-flagellate while chanting. After approximately twenty seconds, D-97234 began striking his head against the table in the room with great force, chanting until a complete cranial breach was achieved. Room was cleaned and SCP-635 replaced on table by D-48455.
Subject D-19335, of Eastern Orthodox faith, was placed in a room with SCP-635. The subject was restrained in a Class 3 straightjacket, and was shackled to the table to restrict body movement. Upon having SCP-635 placed in the subject's right hand, a brief attempt at self-flagellation was made and the subject began chanting. After fifteen seconds, the subject's attempts at self-flagellation ceased for approximately one minute. After this period, the subject ceased chanting and shouted, "Lord, I worship only as I am able!" After doing so, the subject bit off his tongue and tilted his head back, making incoherent noises for seven minutes and twenty-two seconds before dying. Cause of death was determined to be asphyxia caused by aspiration of blood. Room was cleaned and SCP-635 replaced on table by D-48455.
Subject D-63221, of Roman Catholic faith, was placed in a room with SCP-635. The subject was restrained in a Class 3 straightjacket, was shackled to the table to restrict movement, a locking leg bar to further prevent motion, and a gag was placed in the subject's mouth. Additionally, the subject was blindfolded and the left hand was encased in a thick plastic mitt. SCP-635 was placed in the subject's left hand. After one minute, no effect was observed. SCP-635 was placed into the subject's right hand. The subject attempted to begin self-flagellation immediately, and attempts to speak around the gag indicate attempts to chant, but after thirty seconds, attempts ceased. The subject did nothing for eight minutes, at which point SCP-635 was removed. The subject relaxed at this point as restraints were removed, with security personnel on standby to terminate D-63221 in case of violence. Nothing notable was found on the subject with the sole exception of the blindfold, which was soaked with tears. Psychological evaluations of the subject found no recollection of the event, but a marked increase in feelings of guilt and shame for weeks afterwards. The subject's scheduled termination has been placed on indefinite hold to determine the long-term psychological effects of exposure to SCP-635.
SCP-635 was returned to its containment lockbox by D-48455 under armed guard.