The Holder of the Path

In a large city, in some country, you may find a grand hotel. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who called "The Holder of the Path." The worker will try his best to keep a look of indifference on his face while handing you a key which, as he will explain, belongs to an unused supply closet in the building (if only it were that simple). Upon locating and unlocking the correct door, you will find a narrow, winding road suspended in an endless void, only occasionally disrupted by the massive outlines of things best left undescribed.

To fall off the path is to be thrown out of reality itself. A nightmarish eternity of inconceivable horror awaits anyone who either stumbles into the void by their own error or is dragged off the path by the timeless monstrosities that reside on the outskirts of creation. If you should ever feel as if you are being watched while traveling through this piece of oblivion, the best chance you have is to immediately freeze in place and hold your breath. Continue to do so until either your audience loses interest or moves in to claim you. If the latter should occur, feel free to scream as hard as you want, though your screams will fall on deaf ears.

Eventually the path will end at a door; upon opening it, you will find a small, dirt-caked room. Propped up against the far wall will be a heavily emaciated corpse; what‘s left of its skin has long since blackened with necrosis. There will be nothing else unusual about it unless you approach it and ask one question: "How did they acquire guardians?"

If said line is spoken, the corpse will begin to stir. A subtle red glow will emanate from its eye sockets as it lifts its head and begins to whisper the long and macabre history of the Holders. It will speak of unholy pacts and unspeakable atrocities. Within time, its tale will touch upon every form of evil known to man or God (and then a few more). Furthermore, if given the title of any Holder, it will reveal its history and the meaning of the object that it protects.

Well, almost any Holder. You see, it will never go into detail about itself. This is because the ghoul hopes that its visitor will not question why it seems to be lacking an Object. Truth be told, its Object was somehow sealed inside its skull, and the ominous glow from within its eye sockets is actually the shining light of the Object trapped inside.

That is Object 7 of 538. Its Holder will do anything to keep you away from it.