Some deep crypotozoology cuts in this batch of field reports. If you'd like to join in on this AND get to see new pages of Order of the Black Dog early, please check out my Patreon!
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Secret Agent Avia Jiutai traveled to the coast of Vietnam to investigate the mysterious appearance of a new island. Based on tourist photographs, the nearly 70-meter long island had appeared some time in late September, already possessing a dense growth of grass and small trees. Agent Jiutai made landfall in the late morning and surveyed the island, noting the shallow dirt layer atop what seemed like solid rock. However, as his investigation continued, the island seemed to shift and move, nearly knocking the agent into the sea. Accompanied by bubbles and foaming sea water, a large scaly head emerged from the water: the head of what was revealed not to be an island but a gigantic turtle. With his boat left behind as the massive turtle slowly moved across the surface of the water, Jiutai had no choice but to ride the animal for several hours as it weaved between the rocky islands of Vietnam's coast. Before local government assisted via helicopter, the agent was able to take several more readings on the animal and many photographs. The Vietnamese government is in the process of studying this large creature and offering it special protection.
Secret Agent Gedat Rakkin uncovered an ancient device designed to capture and maintain "known and unknown entities from the spiritual realm", as described in an 1869 book on the topic. Stored in an abandoned American museum and mislabeled as an old plumbing device, Rakkin recognized the hand‑molded pipes and parts from an illustration in the seminal book on spirituality and spirit summoning. Once reconstructed, the device extended a metal pole 20 meters into the air. When activated for testing, the device seems to have worked: much to Agent Rakkin's surprise. Over the course of several minutes, its chamber (which was a repurposed wood‑burning stove) started to shake and glow as the agent captured footage of a phosphorescent mist filling it. When the machine was shut off, the mist began to solidify into the shape of a face, though it quickly dissipated. Further research into this device is now underway.
Senior Agent Duncan spent time studying a strange, squid‑like creature discovered in an oil pit. Factory workers reported seeing 6‑inch‑long semi‑transparent creatures in a vat of toxic runoff from the plant: a mix of oil, antifreeze, and other industrial solvents. Upon arriving, Agent Duncan found that only one specimen of the strange creatures remained, kept dead in a jar within the warehouse: all other evidence of the creatures had apparently disappeared when workers returned to clean the vat. Upon studying the creature in the SIU lab, it stirred back to life and seemed to react to scanning tools, even through the sealed container, despite a lack of visible eyes. When fed, the 'squid' began to grow at a rapid rate, breaking its way out of its glass container and eating several other specimens in the lab that were also awaiting examination. Agent Duncan sustained serious injury while subduing the creature, which is now being held at a secluded site for further study.
Special Agent Cat Zirka dug into the mystery of an unreleased video game and the disappearance of its production company. Between 2014 and 2015 there was intense media hype regarding the release of Zarlander III: the latest in a fantasy role playing game franchise. Televised specials, food and franchise tie-ins, and celebrity appearances were among the many aspects of what was, at the time, the largest advertising campaign ever created for a video game, but when the release date came in Fall of 2015, no game was ever released. When various members of the media (and investors in the production company) attempted to question the production team, no trace of them was found: their office had been emptied entirely, seeming to have not been used for weeks. The situation was widely reported as fraud and it lead to the dissolution of the parent company along with a two year governmental investigation. Agent Zirka, however, was not satisfied with this explanation and attempted to investigate further. After an extensive search into the lives of the production crew, and all legal papers for the company and game, Zirka discovered the last known location of the disappeared programmers: a small island near Madagascar, well known at the time as a vacation resort for high-end businesses. After convincing her superiors that this was NOT just another attempt at a covert paid vacation, Zirka visited the now defunct and abandoned resort and eventually found the remains of the missing video game staff: burnt and desecrated, their skeletons within a walled-off hotel room. A criminal investigation is now underway.
Special Agent Chaz Gates oversaw the excavation of a newfound underwater archaeological site off the coast of Japan. The site, first identified in 2022, was known for its unusually geometric patterns of stones, but no deeper investigation was attempted until 2036 due to government mandates on disturbing the local fauna. The site was revealed to be the remains of a royal tomb, the contents described by one archaeologist as a grave robber's dream: jewels, clothing, gilded armor, weapons and, most importantly, a golden crown. The metallurgy of these artifacts conflict with the site's pre-historic age, indicating the site has no relation to the nearby Japanese cultures from the time, which had neither the gold (nor technology) needed to create the artifacts. The exact details of what followed are not known, but Agent Gates was spotted on security video one night on the excavation platform above the tomb, wearing the crown and holding one of the swords from the site. The archaeologists on site were unable to disarm or combat the agent, nor were they able to understand the language she had begun speaking. It was only through happenstance that Agent Gates fell overboard as waves lapped against the platform during the scuffle, dislodging the crown from her head and sending it back into the water. Chaz has no memories of these events, or what had motivated her at the time, and reports "waking up" in the ocean; the crown and sword have yet to be recovered.
When a now disgraced paleontologist stated, in 1812, that there were doubtless no more species of large quadrupeds left to be discovered, the further discovery of over one thousand new quadrupedal species in the coming century had certainly put the final nail in the coffin of their theories: which is to say nothing for the tripedal creature discovered by Special Agent Arukino. In an attempt to find a fabled cave, into which a hiker was believed to have mysteriously disappeared, Arukino stumbled upon a cave system that had been closed off to the outside world until very recently. Inside, near shallow pools of water, the agent discovered a new species of animal featuring trilateral symmetry: three legs in a radial pattern around a circular, central body. The specimens were, at most, 12 inches wide and seemed harmless. Several have been safely transported to the SIU research center for analysis. So far, scientists are suggesting that these creatures may represent an entire new class of creature, separating it from vertebrates and arthropods entirely.
Special Agent Kouroth acquired rare footage of an abandoned web show pilot from 2020 featuring disturbing puppets. Its history unknown, the pilot is notorious in some internet circles for the exceedingly disturbing puppets models which seemed to feature lifelike breathing and anatomical features within the otherwise child-friendly outer layers, many rumors circulated at the time that the puppets were full of animal organs. After several interviews, anonymous tips, and at least one barely-legal server hack, Agent Kouroth visited the home of the sole creator of the puppets featured in the footage. Now in his 80s, the puppeteer and artist lived in seclusion but, when pressed, was eager to show off his more recent works. Kouroth was exposed to the craftsman's work in progress: a dog‑sized bird puppet filled with realistic, yet fully synthetic, organs, veins, and blood. The puppet was revealed to have a functioning circulatory system and metabolic processes. The artist delighted in demonstrating that the puppet could eat and digest food and, indeed, that they needed regular feeding to maintain internal integrity. When the puppet attempted to reach out and touch the agent, without the artist even being present, Agent Kouroth decided that his investigation was over and swiftly left.
Special Agent Neo was intrigued by a story in a 1999 book regarding "green children". The story features two wolf children who wander out of the German wilderness in the 1100s, green of fur and very sickly. The brother soon died, but the sister apparently survived, slowly losing the green pigment of her fur/skin and adapting to "modern" life. Widely reported as a folk tale, Agent Neo traveled to Europe to seek out the source of the story and discovered the purported legal name given to the girl upon integrating into civilization. From there, he followed what he could of the paper trail of rumored name changes, travel logs, and marriage certificates, in the hopes of finding a living relative. In doing so, he came to the theory that this woman did not in fact die: his paper trail of the girl apparently linked her across several generations, slowly traveling the continent. Having flown all the way to a remote Australian town, the agent's long investigation came to a surprisingly satisfying end when Agent Neo met this woman, a petite wolf of apparent young adult age, in the flesh. She first claimed no knowledge of her apparent legacy but, after some convincing, and in the face of the evidence he had collected, she revealed extremely ancient, specific knowledge that implied her supposed 900 year age. The woman declined to give permission for a medical examination or more thorough interview, although she and the agent apparently still maintain friendly contact.
Just making an observation. Obviously the rule of cool is in play here, but I'd be PRETTY worried if I was a secret government agent, and I had an officially-recognized dossier with a mugshot.
Rather like how I cringed every time Ryuji openly talked about being one of the Phantom Thieves.
Just making an observation. Obviously the rule of cool is in play here, but I'd be PRETTY worried if
I've gotten so fond these that I actually half-composed a field report as I was falling asleep last night, involving one of the major locations in the world
