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[[include component:image-block | name=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Masopust_dr%C5%BE%C3%ADme_10.jpg | caption=Depiction of Frau Perchta next to a "Percht"
(c. 1880–1990) | width=350]]
**Item #:** SCP-9977
**Object Class:** Keter
**Special Containment Procedures:** SCP-9977 is contained at a remote Foundation outpost in the Austrian Alps within a reinforced humanoid containment chamber maintained at low light and sub-freezing temperatures, which reduce baseline activity outside its annual activation cycle.
From January 7th to December 24th, SCP-9977 remains physically present and largely non-resistant. Interaction is limited to non-provocative communication. Beginning on December 25th, SCP-9977 enters an active anomalous state corresponding to the Rauhnächte[[footnote]]
The Rauhnächte (singular: Rauhnacht) are the twelve nights between December 25th and January 6th in Alpine folklore. Traditionally considered a liminal period, they are associated with spirits, omens, and supernatural activity. During these nights, social norms and domestic order were believed to influence whether households experienced blessing or misfortune. SCP-9977’s activity corresponds to this period, reflecting and enforcing these folkloric traditions.
[[/footnote]]. During this period, SCP-9977 will demanifest from containment within several hours, regardless of physical, spatial, or anomalous countermeasures. No method of prevention is currently known. Containment during the Rauhnächte is therefore mitigative rather than preventative.
Mobile Task Force Gamma-17 (“Alpenwacht”) [[footnote]]
Mobile Task Force Gamma-17 (“Alpenwacht”) is a specialized 20-member Foundation unit assigned exclusively to SCP-9977. Its responsibilities include monitoring, tracking, and re-containing the entity during and after its Rauhnächte activity. The team is trained in rapid response, civilian evacuation, and post-incident containment procedures for seasonal or folklore-linked anomalies.
[[/footnote]]
is deployed to track SCP-9977 movement, restrict civilian exposure, and conduct post-incident containment. --MTF Gamma-17 is supposed to engage and capture SCP-9977 if found before or after the activity cycle ends-- Direct engagement during the active cycle is prohibited following Incident 9977-2017-A.
After January 6th, SCP-9977 consistently enters a weakened state and can be recontained. Gamma-17 is authorized to initiate Recontainment Protocol WINTERLEINEN, prioritizing civilian evacuation, suppression of anomalous evidence, and retrieval of SCP-9977 for transport back to the outpost.
**Description:** SCP-9977, identified in Alpine folklore as “Frau Perchta,” is a humanoid anomalous entity exhibiting a rigid, recurring annual activity cycle. Each year, between December 25th and January 6th, during the Rauhnächte, SCP-9977 demanifests from containment and appears in isolated Alpine settlements, typically villages with fewer than 300 residents.
SCP-9977 does not actively hunt or pursue targets. Instead, manifestations appear to be governed by a fixed behavioral framework reflecting long-established moral and domestic norms within the affected community. These criteria are not symbolic; observed outcomes are physical and irreversible.
__SCP-9977 manifests in two distinct forms, determined by localized behavioral patterns rather than individual actions alone:__
* **Rewarding Form:** SCP-9977 manifests as a young woman wearing white garments, exhibiting calm demeanor and composed facial features. This form is observed in households demonstrating sustained order, diligence, and compliance with communal norms. SCP-9977 is non-aggressive in this state and may leave small objects, subtly alter environmental conditions, or induce short-term improvements in household cohesion. Communication is gentle, archaic, and directive. No physical harm has been documented.
* **Punitive Form:** SCP-9977 manifests as an elderly, distorted woman with pronounced physical deformities. This form correlates with disorder, neglect, or persistent non-compliance within a household or community. SCP-9977 exhibits hostile anomalous behavior, including physical violence and psychological intimidation. Documented punishments include severe bodily mutilation and symbolic acts consistent with regional folklore, such as abdominal removal, filling with stones, or disposal in wells. Communication is harsh, archaic, and prescriptive in tone.
SCP-9977 does not deviate from this structure and does not escalate beyond these established patterns. Despite the predictability of its behavior, no reliable method of intervention has been identified.
**Addendum 9977-A:**
During the Rauhnächte (December 25 – January 6), SCP-9977 consistently vanishes from containment within 3–6 hours of the activation window. Attempts to delay, prevent, or redirect this event have failed. Once uncontained, SCP-9977 relocates between remote Alpine settlements, often following routes consistent with historical folklore records.
Foundation response during this period is strictly reactive. Primary objectives include:
# Tracking SCP-9977’s movements.
# Minimizing civilian exposure.
# Performing post-manifestation damage assessment.
# Applying amnestics, misinformation, and reconstructive measures where necessary.
Affected households frequently exhibit pre-incident behavioral changes, including increased discipline, fear-based compliance, or abrupt social cohesion. In cases involving SCP-9977’s Rewarding Form, households may demonstrate temporary improvements in stability and morale, complicating ethical review but not altering containment policy.
Punitive Form incidents are typically discovered only after SCP-9977 has vacated the area, requiring immediate survivor containment and full narrative control. Recovered historical records closely mirror modern incident data, supporting the conclusion that regional folklore represents cumulative documentation of SCP-9977 activity rather than mythologized exaggeration.
Foundation consensus remains that SCP-9977 cannot be halted during its active cycle and can only be tracked, mitigated, and recontained once the Rauhnächte conclude.
__Following the end of the Rauhnächte, Mobile Task Force Gamma-17 initiates Recontainment Protocol WINTERLEINEN, prioritizing:__
* Rapid area security.
* Evacuation and isolation of civilians.
* Suppression of anomalous evidence.
Gamma-17 tracks residual anomalous signatures until SCP-9977 is visually confirmed. Upon contact, SCP-9977 typically displays reduced resistance and limited mobility, allowing for restraint and transport back to the Alpine containment outpost. Full containment is generally restored within 24 hours.
[[collapsible show="+ Access Document 9977-2017-A – Interview Log" hide="- Close"]]
[[div class="blockquote"]]
**Interview Log 9977-2017-A-1**
**Date:** 25/12/2017
**Time:** 10:21 EST
**Interviewer:** **Dr. Hayes**
**Interviewed:** **Lt. ███████**, Team Leader, MTF Gamma-17
------
**<Begin Log>**
**Dr. Hayes:** Alright. [Pauses] What exactly happened before the initial containment breach of SCP-9977?
**Lt. ███████:** Same as every year. My team and I were ready, loading into the Blackhawk two hours before the activity cycle began. We were just waiting for the computer guys to send us out.
**Dr. Hayes:** Everything was up to protocol until then.
**Lt. ███████:** [Raises voice] Yeah. Everything was up to protocol until Michael decided to get himself ki—
[Dr. Hayes interrupts.]
**Dr. Hayes:** Calm down, Lieutenant. [Pauses]
**Lt. ███████:** [Leans back] Sorry. I’m just… I’m fucking angry.
**Dr. Hayes:** I understand. [Pauses] Your team was about to land at the first confirmed manifestation. What happened next?
**Lt. ███████:** Yeah. Yeah. [Pauses] We were preparing to land for a damage assessment when the analysts called in. They had found SCP-9977 while it was still inside a house. Our Blackhawk diverted immediately. Team Bravo stayed behind to secure the first site.
**Dr. Hayes:** This was the first confirmed instance of the entity being located before it vacated a residence. Correct?
**Lt. ███████:** [Looks at Dr. Hayes] Yes.
**Dr. Hayes:** Arrival time?
**Lt. ███████:** 21:██.
**Dr. Hayes:** Please continue.
**Lt. ███████:** We rappelled down about ten meters from the house. We heard a scream. [Pauses] A kid. Maybe ten years old. [Looks down]
I ordered the breach. Door was locked. We forced it. Cleared the house until we reached the child’s bedroom.
**Dr. Hayes:** And SCP-9977?
**Lt. ███████:** Standing there. Hunched over the bed. [Pauses]
It stabbed the kid in the stomach. Looked straight at us while doing it.
**Dr. Hayes:** That was when Corporal Michael attempted to engage?
**Lt. ███████:** Yeah. He didn’t even get close. SCP-9977 slit his throat like it was nothing.
**Dr. Hayes:** What happened next?
**Lt. ███████:** We opened fire. [Pauses]
Twenty rounds. Center mass. It went down.
**Dr. Hayes:** It was neutralized?
**Lt. ███████:** No, no... It fell [Pauses] there’s a difference doc. That thing was on the floor, screaming, crying. Looked hurt.
**Dr. Hayes:** And then?
**Lt. ███████:** Then it was gone. [Pauses]
Next time it showed up, my pointman was already dead. Both hands cut clean off. We didn’t even see it happen.
**Dr. Hayes:** The breacher?
**Lt. ███████:** Dropped right after. Neck opened. Blood everywhere.
**Dr. Hayes:** That was when you ordered the retreat.
**Lt. ███████:** Yeah. When we got back outside, our Blackhawk had landed. Our medic—
[Raises voice] nineteen years old. Two weeks on the fucking team [Pauses, exhales]
Lower back slit open. Paralyzed on the spot.
**Dr. Hayes:** At that point Team Bravo arrived correct?
**Lt. ███████:** Yeah but too fucking late. Heavy weapons, full kit. That bitch was already gone.
**Dr. Hayes:** Four casualties total?
**Lt. ███████:** Three. [Pauses] The boy lived. [Leans Forward Whispering] That’ll look good in the report, Right doc?
**Dr. Hayes:** Mhm. [Pauses] That will be all. Thank you for your cooperation, Lieutenant.
**Lt. ███████:** [Clearly irritated Falling back into his chair] It’s my fucking honor, Doctor.
**<End Log>**
[[/div]]
[[/collapsible]]
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[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]]
> **Filename:** maseputz_drzime_10.jpg
> **Author:** Karel Rozum
> **License:** Public Domain
> **Source Link:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masopust_dr%C5%BE%C3%ADme_10.jpg?uselang=de
[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]
