Object 356

The Holder of Edges

In any city, in any country, go to any museum. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Edges". The person will not acknowledge your presence but will return to their normal tasks. Observe carefully the person's eyes: if they have turned red, ask to see the Holder once again. If not, leave immediately without question and seek the Holder of Edges after much self-reflection, for you have been deemed unworthy to receive an audience to the Holder. After you have succeeded in obtaining an audience with the Holder, you will be led into the recesses of the museum, an abandoned wing, the favored residence of many horrors you are about to encounter.

Alone, you will be presented with a straight long corridor to walk through. A silvery straight line runs the length of the corridor, an unearthly opal glow emanating from its skeletal girth. Remove your shoes and socks, clear your mind of any negative thoughts, and step upon the silver line. While balance is not an issue, it will feel as if a blade's edge is being passed through the sole of your foot through your body, halving your organs, bisecting your gut, allowing intestines and so much more to spill out of you. Steel your will and walk along the line. While each step renews your body to fires and agony never suffered before, to step off results in eternal physical torture and pain as yet unknown to mortals. Keep your head straight and look not to the corridor walls where grisly murals of wars and battles past mock you and attempt to waver your determination and courage. Do not step back or turn around while on the path, the consequences of such cannot be described by mere words.

If you have survived the path, and remain sane enough to complete your task, you will have arrived at a simple wooden door. Knock once and kneel at the door to be allowed in, and pray that the door opens; if not, you will be left to choose a slow death by thirst and hunger or by throwing yourself against the unmarked path behind you. If the door does open, inside you will see a naked figure chained to the wall, horrific scars marring the body, making it of indeterminate age and sex. Surrounding the Holder will be blades and weapons of every type imaginable and even some of design so incomprehensible and sinister that one must be mad to even wield them.

As the door closes behind you, the figure will begin to speak within your mind, revealing every hidden shame and secret, insulting you, lashing out at you. Mere words will cut into your body, rending flesh from bone, but you will not die. Pain and shame a thousand times more devastating than from any physical wound will assault you. The source: the chained figure. The various weapons will draw you toward them, lending themselves to help end your pain, to plunge their wicked points and edges into the damnable figure. Remain steadfast and endure - to attack the Holder only invites it to obliterate your soul, etching your screams and suffering into another scar on its body.

Through everything, you must ask one question before your mind is lost: "How must I tame the blade?"

If you succeed, the room will vanish, and you will find yourself in front of the museum. Upon your chest across your heart will be a scar in the unmistakable shape of a sword's sheath.

The scar is Object 356 of 2538. It signifies the willpower and wisdom needed to wield the other Objects.