Formulas are a form of verbal Ritual, in the form of specific strings of words spoken at varying speeds and cadences, which elicit reactions from Altered Items. They were Discovered by Theodore Ash, Jr. through experiments involving the Holiday Memories Tree (AI14-AE), as the words used in Formulas are absent when it copies speech.
Formulas are divided into two categories, used as prefixes in their IDs; I for Identification and C for (presumably) Containment. Certain Identification Formulas elicit detectable responses from Items- often in the form of shuddering or vibrating- while Containment Formulas suppress their effects. Notably, only certain Formulas have any effect on specific Altered Items, and some Items have no apparent reaction at all.
None of these Formulas, nor even the words they are formed from, are provided within Control, although some specific Formula IDs have been connected to certain use cases.
- C.5 pacifies Merry-Go-Round Horse (OOP16-KE); used in initial recovery.
- C.9 through C.32 were all used recursively during initial helicopter recovery of Swan Boat (AI19-KE); as the helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances, it is likely these measures were either ineffectual or performed incorrectly.
- I.9 causes Cowboy boot (AI85) to vibrate; used in initial identification.
- I.14 and I.32 both cause Simulacrum (AI53-KE) to shudder, revealing itself.
- I.16 elicits "a response" from Oh Deer Diner Coffee Thermos (AI73-UE).