Division Case File #813 - The Whispering Woods

November 7th, 1910
York, England
Case Description: Division operatives on assignment in England recovered agent Daniel Linstrom, deployed to York and reported MIA three days prior. Standard recovery and decontamination protocols were observed. Agent Linstrom failed the required series of cognitive and metaphysical assessments, and was referred to Omega Level 3 for further processing. Assessment was performed by Agent Persephone, the results of which are enumerated in her report below:
Agent identification: Linstrom, Daniel Thomas
Age: 28
Sex: M
Blood Type: AB negative
Crowley-Meierhoff phantasmoplastic index score: 2.3
Description: Agent Linstrom, biologically speaking, presents as normal. Vital signs, blood work, and other physiological indicators are all consistent with those of the average male of his age range. Behavioral observations were less typical - the subject appeared dazed, listless, and lethargic. Vocalizations were limited to babbling nonsense. In short, the lights are on, but no one is home. Agent Linstrom appears to have had his soul severed from his corporeal form.
Agents Persephone and Minerva were dispatched to York immediately. Investigations revealed a sharp uptick in admissions to St. Sebastian's Asylum, a majority of which were determined to present symptoms identical to Agent Linstrom's. Interview and interrogation of staff and administration involving protocol ████████████████ revealed recent activity in the Asylum orchestrated by influential coal magnate Sir Richard Corwyn Whitechapel III (Subject 813-a), who facilitated the release of a young painter named Esha Patil (Subject 813-b).
Further Investigation of Subject 813-a revealed that he had recently purchased an anomalous painting (recovered - currently in Division custody) titled 'The Whispering Woods' at a clandestine occult auction organized by ███████████████████████████ for a sum of ███████ lbs. Sterling. Subject 813-b was revealed to be the painting's creator. Analysis has revealed that the painting is a Door. It is theorized that Subject 813-a was driven to open the door and harness the power of the Harbinger contained within it, and that the work's creator was required to unseal it.
During the ensuing recovery operation, the Door was unsealed, requiring Agents Persephone and Minerva to shift to containment and damage control. The Door was eventually resealed with the assistance of Subject 813-b, whose soul was trapped inside of the painting as a result. Agent Minerva subdued Subject 813-a and extracted memories from him, rendering him docile and agreeable. Subject 813-a was subsequently committed to St. Sebastian's Asylum, where he remains to date. Bi-weekly monitoring of subject is to be carried out to characterize and mitigate any anomalous effects of the ritual.
Case Status: Closed.

Type

Report, Incident