[Fig. 1: Swarm of hearseflies over Summer.]
Entity Number: 315 ｜ Class: Spectrous
Habitat: Special
Entity 315, or hearseflies, are bright, gaseous entities with outlines loosely resembling those of butterflies or moths. They are creatures of light and anomaly-fueled fires.
Description
Hearseflies are harmless, fleeting organisms, more specter than animal. The wick-like flickering shrouding their bodies imparts the impression that the entities are aflame, although they are surprisingly frigid to the touch and do not scorch skin.
Since their discovery, they are perhaps most well-known for their incarnation as eruptions of great spectacle from the grave sites of Summer Reach, leading to the moniker "Qingming butterflies".1 They come pouring forth en masse, stark against the night sky. Following the formal logging of the creatures under the efforts of Director Indiza,2 the entity gained its current nickname via MEG vote. Settlers from adjacent levels also began flocking to Summer Reach to witness these "hearsefly flights", a trend that persists to this day.
Fig. 1 is a time exposure, shot from a distance. A group of Entity 315 is called a swarm, a flight, or a stardom. All three are acceptable in clinical documentation.
Biology
Hearseflies are small but unmistakeable, with wings spanning barely 3 inches in length but the capacity to emit their vibrant orange glow for miles through dense fog. This beacon effect can garner unwanted attention, as other entities, including smilers, hounds, and death rats, all seem to enjoy picking off and feasting on hearseflies. It is unclear whether this provides any form of sustenance, given that their thin, vapor-like forms can barely qualify as solid matter. Barring natural decay and consumption, hearseflies expire much faster in colder environments or levels with strong wind. They will be immediately extinguished by rainstorms.
The generation of hearseflies is caused by high concentrations of anomalous energy. Typically, these conditions manifest themselves in the form of corridors, elevators, or any other enclosed space able to absorb and confine the building tension. Places where this has occurred will become "burn zones", identifiable through the searing glow of their energy-laden surfaces.
These growth chambers of Entity 315 are largely one-off occurrences that dissipate once the accumulated energy has been depleted. The grave site in Summer Reach is a rare example of a reoccurring burn zone: a yearly event resulted from the tumultuous clashing of natural phenomena below the surface of the level.3 It is possible for wanderers to purposefully generate their own burn zones. This can be accomplished through the mixing of multiple anomalous effects in a tight area, such as a combination of activating memory jars and igniting firesalt. The light produced by such zones is useful in a pinch when traveling through dark levels.
! Notice !
Burn zones are buildups of reality instability.
The creation of a burn zone is usually marked by a humming sound in the immediate vicinity. The seared areas begin to thrum, and closer inspection will reveal a wavering effect over the surface, as if hit by a heat wave. Not all potential burn zones produce hearseflies, just as not every cold day produces snow. While waiting for a burn zone to bloom, one is advised to refrain from touching the affected surfaces.
Due to the high levels of anomalous radiation at play, any form of skin contact may result in unexpected alterations to the human body.
Burn zones can produce entire swarms of hearseflies, bursting from the floors and walls like animated pieces of fabric. Indeed, material analysis of expired hearseflies shows the scant remains to be a mixture of cinder, vinyl backing, synthetic fibers, and other matter common to the location where the burn zone was first created. Therefore, the life cycle of a hearsefly can be understood as an entropic process, beginning with a blast of energy, followed by a steady return to its original components.
The formation of hearseflies usually peaks at around the three-minute mark. After approximately fifteen minutes, they will fade along with their respective burn zones.
Appendix
The first recorded documentation of hearseflies comes from the UEC raid on MEG base, Chandler Laboratory. The deployment of multiple combat-purposed artifacts emitted enough anomalous energy to convert the entire base into a burn zone. After major losses on both sides, the UEC was forced into retreat, leaving local archivists, including Ellis Quinsay, to document the spontaneous lifeforms that sprung forth in the aftermath.
[…] I must have sat with them for a while.
Raid ended at midday. The others burned out minutes prior.
Watched it land, a weightless thing on my fingers. Its wingspan, no larger than the breadth of my hand. It lingered, like I was the most interesting thing it'd ever seen.
"Hello," I said. The small wings flapped. I smiled.
For a moment, its amber eyes swirled with something almost sad, before the fly disappeared into wax grease on my skin.
Quinsay’s description of events aligns with the video footage available, save for a singular deviation. Within the video logs left after the raid, the archivist initially refers to the entity as "Willow" when it makes contact with their palm. All other events proceed in both iterations as reported. Following the incident and general lack of competence of residual defensive forces, all remaining archivists were transferred to The Inland.
