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THE KEEPER

(redirected from THE BEAST)

Rank: Spirit ('Elite' within the Unknown)

Keywords: Trees, Edelwood, Despair, Outsiders, Underworld, Unknown, Forest, Border, Lantern

OVERVIEW

Formerly known under the title of 'The Beast', this entity was originally known as a bringer of despair, trapping unfortunate lost souls in its forest (suspected to be a demiplane or pocket world, but this has yet to see any investigation.)^[1] It is known to carry an artifact known as the Dark Lantern, and seems to be limited to the forest area which it controls and serves. ^[1][2]

APPEARANCE AND IDENTIFICATION

The Beast and the Keeper, thought typically regarded as different identities of the same creature, do vary in appearance. Both possess antlers of varying size consisting from Edelwood branches (visibly similar to oak) rooted to the sides of the entity's head, and carry a simple metal lantern lit with an oil flame. Both also prefer to remain in the form of a tall shadow, resembling a silhouette, with no obvious features other than a pair of luminous and iridescent white eyes.^[2]

The two are distinguishable mainly by a several simple details. The Beast is generally taller and more imposing, with larger branches (typically three to four feet each), with a deeper voice and a thick, feathery cloak; the Keeper is closer to the size of a human, with smaller branches (usually around eighteen inches), with a voice closer to that of an adolescent boy, and wears a pointed hat not entirely unlike a gnome's. The Beast's true form under the shadows has never been seen or documented, but the Keeper, when not in shadow, has been described as resembling a young man in a cape. ^[2][3][4]

The Beast has not been sighted since around 1980 C.E. (32 P.T.), and the general understanding is that the Beast was succeeded or replaced by the Keeper. ^[3][4]

HISTORY

The earliest records of The Beast date back to a handful of obscure native myths, followed by several accounts from travelers and settlers around 1850 C.E. (160 P.T.) in the area around the woods prior to establishment of the nearest towns a few miles away. ^[2][5][6] The early settlements included several families who moved into the woods area despite constant warnings, only to cut off all contact from the nearby settlements and vanish entirely after a few months.

One such record describes the disappearance of Anna Booker along with her family, followed by the exploration of the abandoned cabin they left.

"On the twenty-ninth day after we had heard no word from the three, father gathered up a search party to make their way into the cursed wood in hopes of finding them alive and well. They were gone for a matter of hours, but by the time they returned, father was ragged and tired and the other men as well, and they had found no sign of Anna or her father out in the wood. They had come across the cabin empty, things scattered about, and a grave in the back of the yard. The garden had been stripped bare, and an axe lay strewn by the doorway, while the house sat untended and filthy and infested with vermin, clearly uninhabited over the last month.

On the step they found Anna's cloak discarded, no sign of a body anywhere. The firewood stores lacked for any kindling or wood, and the fireplace had lain untouched for longer than the rest of the house.

Most curious of all, in the house's neglect, an oak sapling had sprung up from the cold, stiff winter ground and burst through the floorboards to make itself a space inside their home, alive in spite of the windy season already stripping away its leaves.

It is my guess, from what I have heard, that Anna and her father had wandered from their home for want of firewood and been taken by the Beast of the Woods, for there is no sign of them anywhere. The snow has fallen thick and many days passed since their vanishing, and there is no telling what has truly happened to them once they left, but the tree and the vanishing into the woods is his calling card, so I myself possess little doubt as to their fate." ^[6]

Upon first inspection, the Beast seems a simple bogeyman story, intended to keep wanderers out of the woods, but a series of missing child cases continuing into the present era suggested otherwise. ^{[Citation needed]} The creature is believed to trap children's souls in order to transfer their life force to the edelwood trees native to the area, which possess certain magical properties which are required in turn to sustain the life force of the Beast itself. ^[1][2][7]

The exact origins of the Beast are unknown. A few researchers and accounts suspect some connection to the otherwise harmless Edelwood Turtles, which have been recorded occasionally bestowing minor beast-like properties upon mundane creatures that consume them. ^[2] However, the much more popular and commonly acknowledged theory is that the original Beast is a manifestation of the magic from the Edelwood trees -- effectively serving the forest and gaining limited immortality and magical properties in return. The lantern is believed to be a sign of this contract or system -- perhaps even the source of the Beast's power, but little has been learned about this. The Edelwood forests (better known as 'The Unknown') are difficult to enter and even more difficult to navigate, and generally any researcher who encounters the Beast (or the Keeper) is not likely to return to tell the tale. ^[2][7]

Post-transcendence, the Beast appears to have changed significantly. Researchers initially attributed this change to the Transcendence itself, but later examination of patterns in local missing-child cases and observations of the forest itself would indicate that the shift in behavior and reputation actually dates back to around 1983 CE (30 PT.) The woods became less ominous and unwelcoming, and the number of missing child cases (and general missing person cases) dropped sharply. ^[8] The exact nature of this turning point is unknown, but several reports have mentioned a childlike figure in the place of the Beast, far more human than any predecessors. He also has insisted on a different title, distinguishing himself from the Beast: the Keeper. ^[8][9]

A few researchers have attempted to link the disappearance of a pair of local children to the changes in the Unknown, due to both occurring in the same year, but this connection is believed to be tenuous at best, if not completely coincidental. ^[8]

There have been a few attempts to link the Keeper's oddly shaped hat with the presence of gnome colonies, but these studies have yet to show any obvious connection beyond a simple resemblance between the two. ^[10]

ABILITIES

The full extent of the Beast and Keeper's abilities is still unknown, but includes:

• Manipulation and influencing of Edelwood Trees (both directing them and causing them to grow with unnatural speed)^{[1][2][3][8][9]}


• An unknown (but seemingly limited) form of immortality, possibly linked to the Dark Lantern ^[1][2]


• Illusions (he typically disguises his true form with illusionary shadows which create a silhouette effect)^[1][2][3][9]


• Light generation (in the form of glowing eyes)^[1][2][3][9]


• Limited clairvoyance (he is suspected to be have limited perception through the Edelwood trees themselves)^[2]


• Possible space-warping within the Unknown (Several reports mention the Beast and the Keeper both guiding outsiders far too quickly through the woods to be accounted for by simple shortcuts) ^[2][3][9]


• Indirect influence over the appearance and seasons of the Unknown ^[2][3][5]


• Minor portal creation (creating temporary portals between the actual forest and the Unknown.) ^[3][8][9]

No records have ever observed or described the full power held by the Beast or Keeper, so their rank of 'Elite' is technically only a speculated ranking. Similarly, the Beast has never been seen outside of the Unknown and the Keeper has only been summoned away from it for a few brief occasions, so the Spirit ranking may be subject to change. ^{[Citation Needed]}

ASSOCIATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ENTITIES

Due to the closed-off nature of the unknown pre-Transcendence and the Beast and Keeper's limited range, the Beast is suspected to have had little interaction with other supernatural entities in the past. At at least one point, a few records would indicate the presence of a nameless 'Woodsman' who chopped Edelwoods for the Beast as a part of an unspecified contract.^[2][3] However, little else is known about this entity. The Keeper, existing post-Transcendence, seems to have been more sociable -- or at least, he has more opportunities to interact.

The Keeper's primary associates include bluebirds, as well as a young boy (or possibly a youth) who has been seen following him on a few rare occasions. ^[5][8][9] The exact relationship is unknown, though a handful of researchers have attempted to use the perceived relationship as further evidence for the connection between the missing children and the changes in the Unknown. ^[8]

The Keeper has been sighted interacting on seemingly friendly terms with Alcor the Dreambender. ^[11][16] Current speculation would suggest some sort of deal, though Alcor has repeatedly denied this when asked. ^[12] The Keeper has yet to be successfully reached for comment on the matter.

SUMMONING

Due to our Rules and Guidelines for user safety, Occultopedia cannot give instructions concerning the summoning of entities of classes 'Spirit' or above. This section has been locked for admin editing only.

The Beast has relatively little power outside of the Unknown or the range of the Edelwoods, and is rarely summoned as a result. ^{[Citation Needed]} Only one summoning is known, attempted by a group of slayers in 2023.^[16] Documentation of their methods remains unavailable to the general public.

THE DARK LANTERN

This lantern is heavily associated with both The Keeper and The Beast, and believe to be a potential source of their power. ^[2][3][5] Both entities have been recorded as being notoriously possessive of the lantern, making it difficult to learn much about it. ^[2][3][5]

The lantern itself is a simple metal lantern with a hood and door, lit with what resembles a simple oil or kerosene flame. ^[3][9] The oil fueling the lantern is pressed from Edelwood, and is supposedly the only type of oil which can keep the lantern burning. ^[1][2][5] There are no known photographs of the Dark Lantern.

PORTRAYAL IN MEDIA

The Keeper is an uncommon choice for a character in popular media, and few have written about him. ^{[Citation Needed]} The Beast is slightly more popular, but many works referencing him date to before the Transcendence and are less than accurate.

The Keeper has made a few minor appearances in Twin Souls works since his initial interactions with Alcor, though he is typically a minor character or wingman of sorts. ^[14]

The Beast makes a major appearance in the romanticized adaptation of one theory behind the Keeper's origins, written in the form of a children's miniseries 'Beyond the Graveyard Gate' in 2031. The series was later banned from airing alongside children's cartoons due to its misleadingly light-hearted portrayal of the Unknown, although it has kept a small adult fanbase and is somewhat popular amongst demonology students. ^[15]

TRIVIA

• The 'Tome of the Unknown' is believed to be from the Beast's domain, and contains several passages directly referencing the Beast.


• Due to the Keeper's interactions with Alcor, many researchers and demonologists have speculated on connections between the Woodsman associated with the Beast and the Woodsman associated with the Dreambender. No theories regarding this connection have been confirmed at this point.


• The Keeper makes several minor appearances in the 2027 Twin Souls work The Romance of Trees.


• The Keeper's range is directly connected to the presence of Edelwoods. It is theorized that if Edelwoods were transplanted to other regions, they would be able to serve as entry points to the Unknown in the same way that the primary Edelwood forest does. The Delmarva Demonology center has taken this into consideration, and an experiment may be underway by 2040. ^[13]

RELATED ARTICLES

• The Tome of the Unknown
• Edelwood
• Alcor the Dreambender
• Demonology
• The Blades of Consechra

SOURCES

[1] 'A Compendium of Forest Lore: 2^nd Edition', Mogul Li, 1998, Occult World Publishing

[2] 'Tome Of The Unknown' (Undated) (Author Unknown)

[3] 'Tales of a Traveler of The Wood', Hilda Tavernkeep, 1897

[4] 'How I Died And Came Back: A Brush With Limbo', Neil Dessar, 2018, Spirithearth Press

[5] 'Collected Native Myths,' Annie Throplogy, 1986, Society of Native History

[6] 'Diary of Tricia Mill,' Tricia Mill, 1856

[7] 'Dendroo: The True Nature of the Edelwood Forests,' Terry Cutter, 2023, Occult World Publishing

[8] 'The Guide, and Other Post-Transcendence Phenomena in the Unknown,' Unknown Author, 2019, Ascended Lore Publishing

[9] 'Fifteen Close Encounters of the Supernatural Kind,' Close Encounters Newletter, Issue 17, May 2015

[10] 'The Keeper of the Edelwoods: Actually a Gnome?” KBCW, 'kbcw.blogurl.com/post/209283/the-keeper-of-the-edelwoods-is-actually-a-giant-gnome-im-serious'

[11] 'Alcor the Dreambender Seen With The Keeper Of The Unknown,' Siren's Occult Gossip, 'sirensgossip.net/rumor/alcor-and-the-keeper-besties'

[12] 'An Interview With Alcor,' Demonology Weekly, Issue 45, November 2024

[13] 'Delmarva Demonology Center to Conduct Edelwood Experiments Against Council Advice,' Ocean Town News, Issue 92, June 2036

[14] 'The Romance of Trees - WOMT' Worldwide Online Media Trivia, 'womt.com/book/the-romance-of-trees', September 2028

[15] 'Animation Web to Ban Summerween Miniseries Beyond the Graveyard Gate from Airing', The Polyhedron: Nerd News, 'polyhedron.net/animation-ban-beyond-the-graveyard-gate-seriously-how-is-this-a-kids-show-whose-idea-was-this', August 2030

[16] 'Overzealous Slayers Cause Trouble In New England's Cursed Forest', Greywood Times, Issue 128, March 2023

CATEGORIES: Supernatural Entities, Spirit Rank Entities, Elite Rank Entities, Entities With Multiple Rankings, Tree Entities, Pre-Transcendence Entities, Entities Associated With Alcor the Dreambender, Twin Souls Characters

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TALK: THE KEEPER

MERGING

This needs to be merged with the page for 'The Beast.' ~~~~bluebirds-and-teapots

On it. ~~~~ Admin Weaver

I CAN'T READ THIS

Guys, why's the page all covered in square boxes? ~~~~n00b01

Ugh, the admins need to fix the corruption protection measures again. ~~~~complacentlyLearned

Yeah, this is probably from the diamond triad page ~~~~theEditorinator

We're still working on it. ~~~~Admin Weaver

SORRY

S̴̷̸̶̬̳̱͔̲̱̄o͔͞r̶̷̖ry, I̷̴̝̼̹̲͕͗͊̓͒'l͉͟͜l f̸̷̵̨̖̳̉̓i̻͔̓͘͞x i̸̷̶̗̤t! ~~~~̷̶̴̩̻̩̥͇̻̬̺̣͆K̷̨̧̺̻̪̪̦e̴̸̵̴̸͖͖͉͙̬̱̳ͫ͊ͧͣͣͤͨ͒͘̚ͅͅȩ̶̴̢̟̺̹̿͊pe̴̴̷̸̸̵̢͎͉͇͕͕͓͇̳̱͌͒͜͜͞͠r

...what? Buddy, easy on the zalgo text there. I can't even read half of that. ~~~~theEditorinator

??? ~~~~bluebirds-and-teapots

I̜̫̫̗̖̿t's f̸̶̵̮̞͇̈́i̸̴̜̳̲͟͝͡xed n̵̸̷̼͋ͧ͘͠͡͡o̵̷̸̸̶̸͎̳͓̥͚̫̽̽̾͘͟͠w. ~~~~̷̶͜K̷̨̧̺̻̪̪̦e̴̸̵̴̸͖͖͉͙̬ͫ͊ͧͣͣͤͨ͘̚ͅͅȩ̶̟̺̹̿͊p̷̶̦̬͡ͅe̴̴̷̸̸̵̢͎͉͇͕͕͓͇̳̱͌͒͜͜͞͠

FIXED

Hey guys the page just went back to normal -- what's up with that? ~~~~complacentlyLearned

Weird. It seems fine now. ~~~~Admin Weaver

.... why is there a bunch of weird poetry under the “portrayal in media” section? ~~~~theEditorinator

Just leave it. He put it in there himself. ~~~~aľ̮͠c̷̛̼or61̷̈́͡8

Deleting it now. ~~~~ Admin Weaver

HEY ADMINS

Why is that 'alcor618' guy an admin now? ~~~~theEditorinator

I don't think we're getting rid of the poetry any time soon. ~~~~complacentlyLearned