Point of Descent

16:30 hours.

Agents Prada and Presley continue investigation at Devil’s Chair despite worsening weather. Mud, rainwater, and huckleberry samples are collected from stonework and soil.

Lightning strikes illuminate the cliff face intermittently. Rain intensifies.

Presley notes Prada’s behaviour becoming increasingly focused - bordering on obsessive. Their scraping against stone produces a sharp, persistent sound, described as nails on chalkboard.

Presley attempts to distance themself to reduce the noise.

The sound does not diminish.

Perceptual Cliffside Breach

Presley determines the sound originates beyond the huckleberry bushes, over the cliff edge.

Illuminated by lightning, angular shapes are observed protruding from the slick black stone below - moving unnaturally, as if suspended on invisible strings.

A body slides downward along the cliff face, followed by many more.

Lightning reveals dozens of small, jointed humanoid forms clinging to the stone.

Presley experiences acute depersonalisation.

Analyst note: First confirmed visual contact with entities.

A pebble dislodged from the cliff triggers immediate upward movement. Multiple entities begin climbing toward the agents.

A brief exchange, "All good?" Prada to Presley. "No." "Do we need to run?" "Yep."

The movement of bodies entraces Presley briefly. The agents flee.

Presley slips in the mud and falls. Prada does not look back.

Presley is overwhelmed by the masses of bodies.

Analyst note: Presley MIA. Presumed deceased. No visual confirmation.

Preventation Communication Efforts

At Trailhead Station, Paxton and Pallbearer debrief and assess threat escalation.

Concern raised regarding external communications. A nearby telephone pole carrying a landline connection is identified.

Paxton fires a silenced round into the junction box, severing the line.

Brandon (primary) asks why.

Paxton replies that he believes he saw a Long Man.

Pallbearer offers his coat to Brandon (primary), who accepts and thanks "Marty" - Pallbearer's alias.

Procedural Containment Failure

Inside Trailhead Station, evacuees and campers crowd the common area.

Pinewood lights the fireplace.

Brandon (secondary) initially shows no reaction.

Over a game of cards, Pinewood assesses if the two subjects share a knowledge, and the name Andrew is mentioned.

Behavioural shift occurs in Brandon (secondary) due to the amount of questions.

A ranger presses Pinewood for details about their conversation. Douglas Keena is brought into the interaction.

Pinewood proceeds to signal to the others through the window before being taken to a quiet room.

Analyst note: Signal miscommunication led to escalation. Mandatory signal training required for all involved agents.

Pinewood distracts and delays Ranger Keena with information regarding false CPS agents. Providing a cover for his unusual conversation with Brandon (secondary).

Pursuit Through the Forest

Prada escapes Devil’s Chair via quadbike.

Auditory pursuit detected - wet, slapping footfalls.

She accelerates, misjudges a turn, and becomes stuck in a muddy ditch. Entities close rapidly.

She physically wrenches the quadbike free and escapes.

No vocalisations from pursuers beyond abrupt movement sounds.

Paradox Proximity Event

Paxton and Pallbearer observe Pinewood’s signal from outside the station.

Prada arrives shortly after, debriefing them on the entities she encountered. Neither Paxton nor Pallbearer observe anything chasing her.

They proceed toward the station, accepting Presley’s loss.

At the entrance, a woman exits holding hands with Brandon (secondary).

For a brief moment, both subjects are within touching distance of each other. Neither subject notices the other.

Prada follows discreetly sensing an unusuality to the situation.

Paxton and Pallbearer enter with Brandon (primary). Brandon (primary) runs to the kitchen for a hot beverage.

Ranger Tomika confronts Paxton and Pallbearer regarding Maria Lamay’s death.

Parley Between Parties

Inside, Pinewood notices the woman escorting Brandon (secondary) outside and claims she is one of the individuals they've been investigating.

Pinewood and Ranger Douglas give chase.

Outside, the woman positions Brandon (secondary) behind her protectively.

Multiple humanoid forms emerge from the treeline in synchronised movement.

Prada conforts the woman, supported by Pinewood and Ranger Douglas

The woman states:

"You were a mistake.
We left you be.
We let you be in peace, with your fire and your sticks.
You do not scare us."

Pinewood fires at the woman. Misses.

“So you have chosen death.”

The dark entities charge.

Point of No Return

The ranger station erupts in combat.

• Paxton fires from upper floor, dropping an entity.
• Pallbearer retrieves Brandon (primary).
• Pinewood wounds the woman.
• Ranger Keena orders lethal force to other rangers.
• Ranger Naomi Blomberg unholsters her weapon and fires at the charging entities.
• Woman with Brandon (secondary) is decapitated by one of the entities.

Multiple beings advance from the forestline.

Pinewood visually confirms entity morphology:

• Small nude humanoid bodies
• Extensive stitch marks and scarring
• Partial cranial fusion forming a heart-like shape
• Waterlogged skin

Pinewood deploys a grenade; blast radius insufficient - deals with some of the beings but not enough.

Entities swarm the agents and rangers outside.

Brandon (primary) shouts from station upper floor window:

"Leave them alone!"

Glass floats around his form.

A parked vehicle is hurled outward from the station towards Brandon (secondary)’s position, striking Pinewood and some entities.

Analyst note: No confirmed connection between Brandon (primary) and vehicle movement. Agent reports do suggest a strong colleration.

Pinewood’s carried explosives detonate as they are struck with the vehicle.

• Massive detonation
• Remaining entities in the clearing destroyed
• Agent Pinewood: KIA
• Agent Prada: KIA
• Brandon (secondary) destroyed
• Ranger Keena and Ranger Blomberg majorly injured

Presence Beyond the Trees

Pallbearer observes a colossal shadow beyond the treeline.

Numerous entities stand motionless at its feet.

Paxton aims his weapon but does not fire.

Rangers retreat inside.

Civilians panic. Disorder spreads.

Professional Interference

Two operatives arrive at road leading to Trailhead station:

• Agent Hendricks - ████████ ████████ █████████████████████ █ █████████ ███████████ ██ ██████ ███ ███████ ██████████ ███ ███████
• Agent Hosquith - ███████ ██████████ ████████ █████ ██████ ███████████ ████████ ██████ ███████ ████████ ███ ██████████

█████ █████ ███████ ███ ████████ ██ █████ ████████ █████████ ███████████

Agents move the fallen tree out of the road using a winch attached to their vehicle.

They stop to investigate wreckage of Paxton's car, exchange gallows humour, and rearm.

They proceed toward Trailhead Station.

Psychological Readings

• Paxton - Concern of survivor guilt incoming. Paternal bonding with subject (primary) potentially irreversible. Higher risk of insubordination.
• Pallbearer - Compassion shown towards subject (primary), and active protective actions taken. Unclear motivations since possession event.
• Pinewood - Completed transition from operative to liability. Casualty classified as mission-critical. Monitoring redistributed.
• Prada - Remained focused on operation throughout. Lack of preparation hindered combat capability. Deceased. Monitoring redistributed. Removing post-operation plan of action.
• Presley - MIA, presumed KIA. Last observed experiencing acute depersonalisation during hostile contact. Monitoring redistributed.