Object 1406: The Holder of Emptiness

In any city, in any country, go to any empty warehouse that you can get yourself to. Once inside, say, "I've come to see the Holder of Emptiness, " as if you were speaking to the very warehouse itself.

The room will shake into a blur and then reform into a stone pit with nothing but darkness beneath you. Needless to say, you will begin to fall. You will continue to fall for several weeks; don't worry about hunger or thirst, for such things do not exist in a world of emptiness (indeed, you should be thankful that you even exist here). If, against all odds, you retain your sanity throughout the entirety of your fall, the stone walls around you will eventually disappear; you will see nothing around you but infinite blackness.

Then, and only then, may you ask the question, "Why do they feel empty?" Ask incorrectly, and you'll land (rather hardly) on a concrete floor; considering how long you've been falling, your chance of survival is slim.

Ask correctly, however, and you'll land harmlessly on the softest cushion you've ever felt. A bright light will shine down on you; in front of you will be an oaken table, with the upper half of a man resting upon it. He will not answer your questions but instead, present you with two canvas bags. One holds the Object, the other holds an eternity in that pit. It is up to you to choose the right one.

Should you be fortunate enough to choose the correct bag (and, indeed, few are so lucky), you'll find inside an ordinary-looking cup with a small crack running down the side. Immediately after seeing your prize, you will find yourself back outside the warehouse you started in, cup in hand. Any liquid placed in this cup will never run out; if so much as a drop of another liquid is put inside it, it will replace the original liquid entirely.

That cup is Object 1406 of 2538. Eternal emptiness will seem like bliss should They come together.

Object 1410: The Holder of Desolation

Unlike all the other quests, you must pledge yourself to the quest to seek the Holder of Desolation. To pledge yourself, you must first separate your soul from your body. There are very limited ways of separating your soul from your body without killing yourself and harming the soul in some way; the way I'm about to tell you will be the most reliable way of doing so: First, you must clear your mind of anything in the physical world; including "god", thoughts, and feelings.

When you have successfully cleared your mind, it is time to perform the ritual; if your mind wanders any time during the ritual, your soul will refuse to leave your body and therefore the ritual will fail. The first step of the ritual is that you must have the blood of another human, any amount would do. It is advised not to use the blood of someone close to you because if the ritual is successful it will also result in their death; their soul will be ripped from their body to use as a sacrifice but the fate of their soul will be left for judgment.

You must mix the blood with powdered lead and yew sap to make a thick paste. Put some of the paste into your mouth but don't consume it or even swallow your saliva or else you will die from the poison. Add your own blood to the mixture as a symbol of your dedication to the quest, the blood will contain a fragment of your soul which is drawn out by the yew sap. Dab the rest of the mixture on your body and swallow the paste inside your mouth. You will pass out directly after, not even noticing the pain as you hit the floor.

Now that you have separated your soul from your body, there is no going back until you have completed the quest you have pledged yourself toward. To find the Holder of Desolation is a quest that requires only yourself; attempt to communicate to others and your soul will be destroyed, your conscience shattered into nothingness. Nobody in the physical realm may help you or even see you because you are nothing but a wandering spirit, undetectable to mortals' eyes. To start your first step to seek the Holder, you must enter a place of worship of any sort. Within the place of worship, you must find a sign which is worshipped. Lay your hand upon the object and do not move from the spot where you are. You will at first hear a very faint white noise as the noise from the physical realm slowly fades into nothingness and the world shatters into tiny fragments. Do not worry, as this just means that you have fully left the physical realm but the physical realm itself is not harmed.

There is no room where the Holder of Desolation resides, just darkness. The shadows leap at you, attacking you with pure malevolence and hatred. Do not show any sign of fear or pain, or else you will be lost amongst the shadows too. Fighting back against the shadows is also not recommended as you will not be able to lay a hit on them and this will just anger them into tearing your soul to shreds. Just as you had not left the spot in the place of worship, do not move from the spot you stand on. However hard the shadows attack you, do not try running away or escaping from them because the spot you stand on is the only place that is not darkness in this realm. Do not fret, as the Holder will come to you. There are many shifting voices in this realm, each one seems to speak one at a time. They will tell stories of their pain and sufferings. Concentrate on listening to them and you will be driven to insanity, and in your soul form, this will destroy your conscience.

A blinding white light will vanquish all the shadows and the Holder of Desolation will appear before you. She takes the form of a young girl about the age of 8. She wears an immaculately designed dress but it is tattered. Her pale white skin is perfect and bears no scars. Her hair is long and disheveled. Her face contains no eyes nor a nose, just a mouth on which the lips are sewn together. In her arms, she clutches a brown book with indecipherable inscriptions upon the cover which seem to glow an eerie green. Stare at the girl's face and your sanity will be lost.

She will not react to anything; you, yourself, cannot speak due to the quest requirements but she will know what you seek. She will hold out her hands toward your head and answer all the questions you may need to ask her. None of the answers are in words but in horrific pictures and flashes of messages flowing through your mind, each picture full of malevolence and destruction in such detail that they seem to happen in reality. You must have a strong mind or else you will be destroyed by the answers. This is where you must free your mind of thoughts and relax your mind.

If you survive the answers, then she will open the book. Look inside the book and you will be destroyed completely. A green, muscular demon with a hollow chest will emerge from the book and pounce on you, torturing you, invoking you to give in and perish. To stop the demon, you must reach into the hollow chest and crush the dark heart of the demon. You must act swiftly, as every blow of the demon will desolate your soul. Upon the demon's defeat, the girl will emit one last scream and fade into nothingness, leaving the book behind. You cannot open the book as it is sealed, and succeeding in opening it would cause complete and utter desolation, causing everything to be destroyed. You will soon feel your soul being forced back into your body, but in your arms, you will hold the Book of Desolation.

Object 1419: The Holder of the Parable

I am the Holder of the Parable.

I am truly a rarity among Holders. I am not some foul creature from another dimension, nor am I some horrendous monster from the deepest reaches of Hell out to get your soul. I'm a regular guy, just like you. I work a 9-to-5 office job and live with my wife and five-year-old son in a suburb in the outskirts of Chicago. Furthermore, unlike the vast majority of the Holders you've encountered thus far, who've done everything in their power to prevent you from getting their Object, I only want to help you. I don't want to reunite the Objects; thus, I hope that you will do it in my stead.

But you may be wondering, if I'm such an ordinary person, how did I become a Holder? Well, it's very simple, really. In addition to being a total tech nerd, I am also an avid reader. I thoroughly enjoy anything from the simplest Stephen King novel to the most complex of Plato's Dialogues. One day, while perusing the shelves of a nearby library, I chanced upon a book of fables and parables that piqued my curiosity. Most of the book's contents were commonplace to such a collection, but one parabl

e stood out among the rest. Certainly, there was nothing immediately noteworthy, but while reading it, I felt this indescribable sensation, that this otherwise unremarkable tale was important, somehow. Remembering this feeling, I later purchased a copy of the anthology in hopes that I would figure out why this particular fable was different from the rest.

Naturally, years went by, and all attempts to pinpoint this parable's apparent importance proved fruitless. Then, during a chance internet search, I came across the tales of the Objects, and then, somehow, I just knew. Finally, I knew what set this single tale apart from the rest. This parable is one of the Objects, and, seeing as how nobody else before me has apparently felt the same way about this tale as I have, I guess I'm naturally its Holder. I have no intention of reuniting the Objects, so I hope the parable will do you some good, Seeker. The parable is as follows:

In days long past, there was a single grain of sand amidst an immense stretch of shoreline. At first, this grain of sand was just like any other, immobile, dull, unfeeling, and wholly unremarkable. As time passed, however, by a series of mysterious, chance events, the grain gained the ability to move about. Soon it was able to form basic, primordial thoughts. Later it developed the ability of language, and not long after, it was able to think in a complex, abstract manner. Upon gaining these abilities, the sand grain sought to learn all it could about itself; once it knew everything it could, it turned outward to the grains of sand surrounding it, even hungrier for knowledge.

Finally, after millennia of studying its fellows, the sand grain knew all it could. With this knowledge, the sand grain declared itself master of the entire shoreline, and commanded the respect of all it surveyed. For eons, the sand grain persisted in its so-called rule. Then, one day, an unusual wave from the nearby ocean washed to the section of shoreline where the sand grain resided. The wave washed away the sand grain, which was then wholly obliterated in the watery depths of the sea. It thought itself master of all, yet in the long run it was master of none. Its knowledge, however immense, could not rescue it from its inevitable destruction.

Who's to say a similar sand grain will not soon arise, starting the cycle anew?

 

The parable is Object 1419 of 2538. I've done all I can. Discern its true meaning, Seeker, or all will be for naught.

Object 1421: The Holder of the Forsaken

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls themselves "The Holder of the Forsaken".

"As you wish," they will reply, with an empty, perhaps fearful, smile. They may let out a chuckle at your request, but they'll lead you down a hall with a steady gait.

You will reach a stone door which, although may look heavy, will swing aside with a light push from your guide. You will continue on through a series of tunnels, resonating with the echoes of an underground system, although you never stepped down stairs. Soon, you will reach a point in the complex in which the walls seem to be dirt, and the wooden supports are mostly rotted and shrouded by cobwebs that tell a tale of abandoned lairs.

There is an iron-barred door here, and whomever guided you here will slowly say, "I'll leave you to yourself now," and turn away and walk back the way you came. You will be alone, and you will feel alone, but you will be welcomed by the sight of a skull. There is a face-down corpse in the center of the room you're in. When you turn the corpse over, you'll notice a familiar face. You see your own face, and there is a key within the puddle of blood beneath your corpse. To gain the Object, you will be required to obtain this key.

Pick up the key and unlocked the barred room. Once you enter, the skull will begin to glow a red glow within its eyes. Don't stare into the eyes, you will lose your mind. You must take the skull then exit the room. From the room where you found your corpse, you will be guided back to the entrance by a small floating light.

The skull is Object 1421 of 2538.

Object 1426: The Holder of Demons

In any school, in any country of the world, find the nearest closet in that school as close as possible to you. When you reach the closet door, it will be locked. Find the keys to the locked closet door. They will be in that school (maybe with the janitor). Find the janitor and tell him, "I wish to seek out the Holder of Demons." He will nod his head and say no. Keep asking him and he will say no. This is where your quest begins. Act like you're walking away and leave the school, but come back at night and the keys should be on the key rack.

Find the key that's red with black crystals on it. When you find it, go to the closet door you were at before. Now, unlock the door. Do not open it though. Because since you unlocked the door with that key, you have begun your quest. There's no going back now. If you open the door, you will see a gigantic creature and it will attack you and eat you. Before you open the door, knock 5 times with your right hand and 5 times with your left, and then utter the words, "I kneel before you, my king." Now open the door. And you have just uncovered the gateway to hell.

You will see demons, monsters, the evil dead army of Satan, and, of course, the... Hell's gatekeeper... the Holder of Demons. DO NOT TAKE A SINGLE STEP! First, utter the words, "I seek out you, my Holder." The black shadowy, scaly Holder will turn and look into your eyes. He will pull you with his levitating powers right to him and look into your eyes.

He will say, "You are very wise to come here, my Seeker. And so I will grant you with the power you seek."

Say, "What do I have to do to achieve this power, my master?"

He will say, "Follow the way of the sin, follow the devil, become the devil, shape the world in your evil image, my child. From now on, my child, you follow the way of the devil. Become what you were meant to be. Become the assassin of death. If anyone gets in your way, do everything you can to get them out."

Now, you have a choice. If you don't say "Yes, I will, my master," you will obtain the Object which I will tell you about in a while. If you say, "No, I want the Object, but if I must do this, I say no," he will let you go. BUT. Demons will follow you your whole and you will earn a place in hell in the lower dungeons of death.

The Object you receive if you say yes is known as the death crystal. The Holder will put in your hand a crystal that is burning hot and has a glowing red color inside it. Grasp it tightly and the Holder will place his right hand on your heart. The burning crystal will burn all throughout your body. Your heart, hands, and forehead will have the devil's mark on them. You have become the devil's assassin of death. The devil's son. The antichrist. The crystal has melted and is now inside you.

This is Object 1426 of 2538. The devil's crystal is now inside you. You are the reign of evil now. You are now the devil's son. You are now... the antichrist. Good luck taking over the world... my son...

Object 1431: The Holder of Masochism

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. As soon as you enter through the double doors, stop. Realize your intention of finding "The Holder of Masochism", then approach the front desk. Do not ask anything, and wait for her to look at you with a face bearing helpfulness and trust. As quickly as she looked at you, she will put her head down and continue with her work. Anything you say will be interrupted by her, so just make a quick gasp, and then she will say, "I know who you are looking for. I cannot help you."

Wait 5 seconds, then barge behind the table. You need to have an intention to do this though. Look for a large drawer on the top left of her desk. It is the confiscation drawer. Reach in and find a razor. Stand before the receptionist and make a semi-large cut on the top part of your forearm. Make any reaction you want, as long as you make the cut deep enough to gush blood. The receptionist will watch as you do so, observing as a child would their parents. She will then turn around, and grab a key off of the wall. There is a number is on the key. This will confuse you, as she offered you a key to a person you are willing to find. The key is rusty and chipped at the grip, while the others are polished and shine with pride. Head up the stairs and look for the room.

When you find the room, the door is already open. It is only cracked ajar, so simply step back and kick the door with all your might. The door should swing with force and power as the handle lodges into the weak and decrepit wall. All you will see is a man on a bed, shaking and convulsing violently. There are some things on the shelf beside him but pay no attention. The man will look very burnt from head to toe and possesses no eyes, nose, or ears. Even though he is missing these parts of his face, he can hear, smell, and especially, see you. The first glimpses he catches of you, he will stop shaking and lie calmly. You must walk up to him, kneel down, and look where his eyes should be yet actually are. Ask only one question: "Do they feed off our pain?"

Calmly, he will point to the shelf. On the shelf lay a propane torch, a pair of pliers, and a small piece of metal in the grasp of the pliers. If you had not read this, you would not know what to do and the man would strangle you, as your last dying vision is of what he used to look like. Take the propane torch, turn the knob, and light the piece of metal within the pliers until it is white-hot. The man will then turn over on his bed, revealing an ink template of what he wants you to burn onto his back. You must burn this all onto his back and miss nothing. If you stop burning, and you have missed a part, he will then turn the propane torch onto your face.

After you are finished, give him the tools and face your back to him. You will feel his hand move gently across your back and then feel your shirt burn away and turn to ashes. His hand will brush off the ashes and then proceed to burn into your back, from a template that suddenly and mysteriously appeared on your back the moment you entered the building. You can also make any reaction here you want, for it pleases and eradicates him. But do not jump away in pain or refuse to have him burn this demonic insignia on your back, or he will do it with a knife and cut you deeper than you would have ever imagined. Just let him finish, then stand up, blow him a kiss, and walk down to the front desk. From there, tell the receptionist that you want your razor back. She will hand it to you. Walk out of the building, noticing that your cut has been stitched up.

You will leave the mental institution or halfway house with a curse. All pain inflicted unto you is pleasurable and addictive.

The key and the razor are Object 1431 of 2538. The only way to remove the curse is to remove your heart and replace it with the key.

Object 1434: The Holder of Gold

Why, hello, dear Seeker. I'm the Holder of Gold as you are well aware. If you've made it this far then you are lucky, very lucky, that my precious babies didn't hear you before I did. They may look like hideous beasts full of deformities to you but they are beautiful to me. Anyway, yes, I heard the question - "Why do they greed?" I will answer you but first, let's chat. I'm in an amusing mood and you are to be my entertainment. Would you care for some coffee, a biscuit, intercourse?

The last one is a doozy, isn't it? Do you like my female form? I've been told I look like a bronze goddess from the Romans. It doesn't matter what sex you prefer because gold has its own incredible draw, as do I. So feel free to stare and be mesmerized.

Come to my bed, and I will tell you the story of Their greed. Hmm, someone warned you well. Yes, if you lay with me your flesh will die in the most excruciating but pleasurable way and your soul will forever lie in my palm. It would keep me company, for as I said before I seldom get any. Hush yourself and cease to repeat that question. Very well, I shall answer you now before my patience snaps. It shall be a gruesome and painfully complicated tale for you, but to me it's simple.

They greed for gold simply because it's beautiful and powerful. Gold has started wars and wiped out civilizations. Out of hate and bloodlust, souls are tainted and changed. Some become demons, others messengers, but the outcome is the same; they are destroyed at the fundamental level of existence. There is power in gold and power for those who hold it and wield it.

Well now, you've retained your mind, yet I must say that the blood running from your eyes and ears doesn't suit you. Clean yourself off with my skirt then strangle me with it. Don't fret over hurting my pretty form. I'm wise enough not to want to live to see the Revolution.

The skirt's stitching and embroidery are hammered gold. It is Object 1434 of 2538. Will the allure of gold's power taint you?

Object 1438: The Holder of the Broken Mind

In any city, in any country, go to a school or some place of education. Enter and look at the nearest reflective surface, be it a mirror or window. Stare into your reflection's eyes. Avoid blinking even when you feel the need to. If you do blink you have failed, and your fate would be best left unrecorded.

Soon, water will begin to leak out of the mirror, blurring your image. When your reflection is fully covered and you can feel water seeping through your shoes, it is safe to blink. Once you open your eyes, you will be totally submerged in water, grasped by the powerful urge to swim to the surface. Don't. Swim down, down into the abyss that opens below you. If you pass out now, you will drown and be devoured by the beasts of this place. If, however, you manage to make it to the bottom, breathe! For air, not water, will fill your lungs. If you manage this, close your eyes yet again and keep them closed. You will hear whispers and talking, but do not open your eyes - keep them closed until you hear these exact words, spoken by a female voice: "How dare you sleep in my class!"

You will see a female teacher standing over you, a look of anger on her face. Answer her question with these exact words: "I don't know what you mean, ma'am, I just arrived." Answer with all the sincerity you can, for it is crucial that she believe you. If she doesn't, you will be sliced into thin pieces and made into textbooks. You will remain alive through the ordeal. If the teacher does believe you, she will relent and walk back up to the blackboard.

Pay rapt attention to the teacher, and do not look at any of the other students. This teacher does not tolerate inattentive students. Eventually, she will tell the class to get out their textbooks. Yours will be under your desk. Do not be surprised if you hear screams emanating from it; I believe I've already told you what these textbooks are made of. No matter what page she tells the class to open to, go to the first page and ask, "What can break their minds?" She'll freeze and stare directly at you. If she makes no move to end your life, stand up, walk toward her, and kneel. She'll poke you in the forehead, and in that brief moment of contact you'll see the answer to your question, and no matter how strong your mind is, it will break.

But it will be replaced. By a new one. A much stronger one.

You'll wake up in your home, but you'll never be the same.

That mind is Object 1438 of 2538. You now can conjure illusions at will, even the one that They fear - but be warned, to be feared by Them is much more dangerous than to be afraid of them.

Object 1444: The Holder of Pregnancy

In any city, in any country, go to any maternity ward you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls herself "The Holder of Pregnancy". It can only be a woman you speak to. If she looks panicked, run, for you have come at the wrong time and you are already being hunted. If she silently starts moving down the corridor, follow her.

The corridor will start off as any in a maternity ward, it will be pristine and white. Yet as you go along blood will start to appear, first in spots then gradually in puddles. Your guide will lead you to a red door. Step inside quietly, don't disturb the woman on the bed.

Her body will be child-swollen and there will be another child, a boy, on her bed with her. Ask her, "Why were they born?" If the boy wakes up, pray for a quick death. For he is her son, the very offspring of demons, and he revels in pain. If she turns to you and looks you in the eyes don't look away. Her eyes will be pure white. She will describe in extricating detail why they were birthed upon the world. Why they won't stop coming. The horrors they will create and who they will kill. Every detail will imprint itself inside your mind and eyelids. Many wake the boy in hopes he will destroy them so they may not have to live with this knowledge.

If you retain your sanity then reach under the woman's pillow. There will be a scalpel and syringe. Fill the syringe with air and plunge it into her neck. She will start seizing but don't retract the syringe until she stills. Then, with the scalpel, cut open her stomach, and the child she was carrying will crawl out and lie next to her brother.

Inside of the woman's womb will be an infant's gold ring. Take it and run to the door, Seeker. Don't look back, for her children are hungry and you would be their meal. Your body will be ripped apart before they get to the main course - your soul. When you open the door, you should be back at the front desk of the maternity ward.

The infant's ring is Object 1444 of 2538. We are born into hunger, our upbringing determines what we hunger for. What do you, dear Seeker, hunger for?