In the deeper depths of my consciousness, it was revealed to me like a dream. The screams of thousands, begging and crying out for salvation. In a stupor I rose from my slumber, sleepwalking through trees parting before my eyes. The wispy branches of the white and dead birch trees bent and morphed into a perfect tunnel passage. Whipping wind morphed a symphony of the chattering bone of dead branches. Gradually, I approached the well. A metal ring in the earth lined with countless runes that altered and flickered with my arrival.
“You are both our mother and father.” Screamed the echoes of the liquid within the ring. It’s umbral, aubergine hue glowing in my wake. “Creator of crafty spite, maker of illusions. Return to us.”
And thus, I stepped in. The waters churned and surged with the steady storm of my entry, rising in droplets that accumulated in streams, consuming me in silk bands of royal purple. Rotten falsehoods concealed by bindings of my awakened past. The bony birches bordering the clearing raised and grew to tower me in my chrysalis of fabrics. As The Well of Sight revitalized me, the sky of dead branches weaved into a canopy, calcifying into the domed roof of my sanctum. The birch trunks unraveled and interlinked to become the walls and columns of the structure as the fluid of the well settled. Lastly, to complete the reconstruction, the grass curled and locked together, forming a green carpet that gradually changed to a hue of burgundy.
I finally had my place within my domain again. The ribbons of purple silk infinitely unraveled and radiated out from my body, wrapping around every marble column in the infinite expanse of my sanctum. Within the expanse, I closed the trio of eyes upon my face. It begs for more extraordinary substance. I demand it is true. Thus, within the symmetric spaces between each column were placed perfect rectangular mounds of marble. I could shift them into whatever I pleased, the conceivable and absurd alike. Grand statues of equal size exchanged and morphed constantly without thought or effort, creating an infinitude of possibilities.
The new constructs of my sanctum simply weren’t enough. I needed more security, more peace, more cover to hide myself from the prying eyes. It was imperative that I remained elusive. Boundaries were placed to corner off sections, vast and small. Statues were removed and murals were plastered to portray the half-truths and lies. All my illusions were put on display to distract from the true discovery of my Well of Sight.
At last, it was perfected. My sanctum was in segments that could be moved and shifted as per my desire. In my security, I could remain above my well to gaze and alter to my heart’s content. It started with the swirling of the waters yet again, rising around me in a dome, crafting into a scene portraying places of the past.
Previously vacant space now teeming with life. Everywhere I looked regardless of how deep into the systems, it was full of life. People lived with impunity, without the fear and confusion they were meant to experience. My teeth clenched in rage, and the ribbons radiating from me grew taut, constricting the marble columns that shielded me. They mustn't continue. They shouldn’t be allowed to continue living without care, without fear, feeding off what should otherwise remain untouched. Even in my decades of absence, they’ve only grown like a parasite.
If they refuse to conform to the rules established by the world around them, then it would be easy for me to force it onto them. With every thread I weave into my Well of Sight, the more the land shall shift, so I shall take it upon myself to weave the world anew; shift details both minuscule and grand to create what was truly meant to be.
With my hands as the needles, I pulled the very thread from my body, twisting and tying into sheets and weaves of netting, traversing throughout worlds within the well. In each world, free from the sight of others within my sanctum, I anchored my tethers of silk. They dug in like tapeworms, writhing and incorporating themselves for my own benefit. I became the controller now, the great octopus with its tentacles in the far reaches of my vision.
“Bring upon dusk, sower of deceit. Shroud them yet again in misunderstanding and confusion. Conceal the light of day.” The sea of voices pleaded in shouting begs, commanding me. And I abided just as they asked, shifting things little by little.
And thus I remained within my well for decades to follow, continually crafting and shaping worlds with my tendrils. Without me, your worlds may not shift and change, let alone exist as you know them. For I am the Maker of Illusions, Sower of Deceit, The Trickster. However, to an extent, I am a creator. Someone who has made a select few spaces of my own fabric. It breathes just as I do, groaning with life equal to my own. It shall remain unknown and abstract to all those who attempt to understand it.
Dr. Kyung, Lee
07/10/2023
Level 244
Expedition to (yet again) find Dr. Monsignor after they’ve tampered with our exploration logs. I’m incredibly certain no matter how long the lead they have tied to me is, I don’t think it’ll remain connected to the exit. Either way, I’ve only been able to hope. Thanks to none other than the doctor themself, I know exactly how to get to them. Yet again, I have to hand it to them for having such an inflated ego that they tout their success and give us a vague idea of how to reach them.
I’ve come across nearly each and every one of the rooms described in their ramblings multiple times over, except the so-called “Blank Chamber” I assume to be their current hideout. For goodness sake, I’ve even discovered the “Round Room” and listened to the breathing and beating noises it makes. Despite the assumption that it could very well trap me at any time, I assume the line attached to me has prevented that. I returned to the main lobby space connecting everything.
I’m currently using my lunch break to sort through my equipment and write this extra log. Hopefully this one won’t be confidential. As long as I don’t mention the other specifics which… Well, I’ll leave those out. Forget it, this will be something like those other publicly available logs. People liked my documentation of Level 213 so much, after all. I’ll continue to make these side updates for all you folks out there.
In the case that other people will be seeing this (and probably Dr. Monsignor), hello. Except for you, doc. You suck for making me go all this way to find you.
P.S. Hi Mom.
Dr. Kyung, Lee
08/10/2023
Level 244
Okay, things have gotten out of hand. Holy shit, there’s no way this is getting declassified. I have no idea if The Overseers told the expedition leads something as a cover story, but I’ve found the doc either way. After another day of randomly entering and leaving rooms, I found her lair, well… a better word would be a nest.
Among the octagonal, plain white room were mounds of trash–discarded rations, food tins, tech waste, pillows, and cushions–a ton of random junk all around a desk and wooden chair. In the middle of it all was Doctor Monsignor, kneeling at the edge of something that had formed in the middle of the room. Some kind of large metal ring on the floor looking into a pool of water. They were almost unrecognizable due to an incredible amount of brightly colored ribbons that had fully encapsulated them like some kind of mummy.
It seemed like something urgent, so I dashed over to try and free or unwrap them. The ends of the ribbons were impossible to find, and the harder I pulled, the more the taut ribbons fought back. It was like a horror movie, how the wrappings tightened and visually moved across them as I fought and pulled against them. Right as I felt as though I was winning the tug of war, I heard a muffled scream. The ribbons suddenly loosened and slinked into the water, causing the doctor to suddenly grab me.
“You fucking meggie idiot! The communion is ruined! Look at what you did! I was learning ALL of it!” I recall her shouting, nearly strangling me in her blind rage. Her eyes were almost glazed over, and her whole demeanor made them seem feral.
She looked across my face and seemingly regained her sense of self, panting whilst she let me go. Rose seemed almost surprised that I managed to wander long enough to find them, but that changed when they saw the line linked to my belt.
After all that happened, I’m still not sure if I want to drag them back to the rest of the team for questioning, or if I should stay to question what in the world I just came across. Well, given how much she kept rambling on about it, I felt like I didn’t get a choice.
The following transcript was recorded by Dr. Kyung after this log.
[Fabric rustling, heavy breathing.]
Rose: [Incoherent] …They were on the other side of The Well! I was learning every little bit! They enlightened me on this test of theirs!
Lee: Doc, Doc! Stop yelling! It’s me, Dr. Kyung, remember? What is all of this?
Rose: Lee… of all the people to understand, it would be you. Sit and listen, okay? This may be one of the most important discoveries in our lifetimes. Write this down- just- just keep that notepad ready. How about cameras? Take some photos too!…
[More rustling overshadows the continuation of Doctor Monsignor’s rambling.]
Lee: Can you explain what that metal ring is? It’s full of… water? That can’t be water, can it?
Rose: It’s The Well of Sight! The fluid is… well I don’t know! We’re just on the other side of it! I’ve been speaking and learning from something on the other side… The Webmaker. Most of this is under their influence! We’re even standing in somewhere of their making- 244 is a test of theirs!
Lee: You sound absolutely mad, is the most polite way I can say this… I don’t want to go anywhere near that thing, frankly. It freaks me out.
[Small clatter and footsteps, followed by the slight sound of water splashing.]
Lee: Doc- hey! I don’t want you going in it either!
Rose: Sower of Deceit, Maker of Illusions! Please! Reveal yourself and enlighten the blind!
Lee: Rose! Hey! Get out of there!
[More water splashing, concluded by a sudden gust and patter of falling droplets.]
Lee: What are you doing?! What is that?!
Rose: Webmaker! Oh, Webmaker! You’ve finally shown yourself!
Unidentified Lifeform: Little Scribe… I see another intruder has defiled my sanctity.
Lee: Sh-Shit…
Unidentified Lifeform: I see your mouth is like a gutter… Watch your language in my presence. I made this place, I can easily remove you from it.
Lee: What? You- You look like a floating bundle of cloth. What are you even?
Rose: Doctor Kyung-
Unidentified Lifeform: I’m the Webmaker! You’ve come across a small test of mine. One which I didn’t want humans like you to discover.
Lee: That doesn’t tell me nearly enough, uh, thing!
[A melodic hum echoes alongside a few gasps and a growl.]
Unidentified Lifeform: Thing?! This is precisely why I fool you insolent apes! I dare you to call me a “thing” again! I swear I’ll come through the well myself if I must!
Lee: Come through yourself? What, is this just some elaborate visual gag?
[The lifeform gives an upset shout.]
Unidentified Lifeform: Quiet! Quiet! I am the Sower of Deceit! The Webmaker! I appear however I wish to you disgusting things!
Rose: Great Webmaker, I apologize for the actions of my pupil here- I’m sure you can understand that absolutely no one knows of you!
Unidentified Lifeform: And because of you, that has been ruined! You showed them the cracks and holes within my own creation!
Rose: And I apologize! I was just carried away when creating my logs, I’m sure you can understand! You’re the Maker of Illusions, Sower of Deceit just like you said! You can easily elude the eyes of others if you wish…
Lee: Doc, I… think we should let a proper team of biologists handle this…
Unidentified Lifeform: Let another person in here and I’ll entomb you within these sterile walls! I refuse to allow myself to be seen by more of you.
Lee: Well this wouldn’t have happened if Doctor Monsignor just came with me instead of… calling you out of whatever that pool might be.
Rose: Don’t shift the blame to me, Lee. YOU were the one who interrupted my communion with them.
Lee: You ran off after stealing sensitive data! [This portion of the transcript has been omitted for mission confidentiality reasons.] It isn’t my fault you got yourself involved in this! Now I feel like I have to document whatever is going on here!
[Dr. Monsignor sighs, following a few seconds of silence.]
Rose: Is this going to continue until you take me back to civilization?
Lee: Worse, I’m calling a biological research team over to check on this Webmaker entity you’ve been talking to.
Unidentified Lifeform: You continue to insult me! I refuse! Leave this instant or suffer my wrath!
[Wind begins to howl and whip as the sound of creaking and chattering muffles most of the following sounds in the recording. Most of what can be made out is the sounds of running and panting. Soon after, the recording ends.]
Mission After Action Report
Intended Goal: Retrieve Doctor R. Monsignor from Level 244 with minimal loss of life, along with stolen data.
Outcome: Partial success. Doctor Monsignor was successfully taken into custody, though hard drives were unable to be recovered due to unexpected variables.
Additional Notes: Follow-up interviews with Rose, and Lee are scheduled to discuss new and unexpected findings within Level 244. Another team of professionals has been dispatched to explore the aforementioned finding. All reports on the matter are to be submitted and checked by the Charles Darwin Center for Biological Research.
Of course, things will always have imperfections. The truth will bleed through the blanket thrown over it. That was my mistake. I let a single person in to witness and learn, and they left a small trail right to me. No matter. It grew into an opportunity for me. A way to spread fear among the people… the blind.
I voluntarily kept the wispy coils of ribbon on the other side of the well. They acted as a lure, coaxing the approaching group of people sent to find me. From the sanctuary of the other side, I grinned and watched as they photographed and documented everything on the other side. They approached the Well of Sight as I had hoped, questioning the floating ribbons of my illusion.
“Cease… I know why you’ve come.” I spoke through the illusion, much to their surprise. “Gather and I shall explain all I can to you.”
So they cautiously gathered around the rim of the well, studying the runes inscribed on the metal rim. They seemed almost frightened to hear me speak, fearful of my words and threats. It filled me with joy to hear them ponder and scribble down their thoughts and assumptions on paper. I allowed them whatever time they wanted to question, answering with half-truths and incomplete stories.
Entity Number: 175
Habitat(s): Undetermined
Description:
The being calling itself “The Webmaker” appears to most people as a floating bundle of purple ribbons, laced with golden thread patterns. They have stated that this appearance is only temporary, and not their proper form. However, they refuse to state their true appearance. So far, “The Webmaker” is only physically present on Level 244.
Behaviors:
From what has been observed, The Webmaker (entity 175) remains stationary, but possesses the capabilities to shift the basic fabric of levels in different ways. This was explained to us in extensive, albeit confusing details provided by them. They also claim to be the sole reason why other levels are known to shift and change, though until future research and study can be done, these claims are dubious at most.
Other than that, I can’t say we’ve observed much more than the floating ribbons shuffle and move with The Webmaker’s speaking. They’ve additionally informed us that they enjoy fooling people, clarifying that they may or may not be telling any sort of truth whatsoever.
Regardless, we were informed by The Webmaker that they do not appear in their physical form for us, instead having multiple instances of thread “everywhere and anywhere at once [sic]” used to look into other spaces. This was confirmed by The Webmaker when they were accurately able to list the location and actions of our secondary team outside Level 244.
Because of the nature of Entity 175 and their capabilities, additional researchers from the I.M.B.H. and other key organizations were notified and requested for assistance.
Biology:
Specifics on The Webmaker’s biology are unclear, though they were polite enough to provide a general understanding of their function and appearance.
From what has been detailed, Entity 175 has a physical form composed of a lanky body of birch branches wrapped and formed into a general humanoid shape. Purple ribbons are said to radiate from the gaps between the birch of their form, though it hasn’t been made clear if they radiate eternally or have an end. Regardless, these are the only portions of The Webmaker visible, appearing floating straight from the ground or floating in the air freely.
These ribbons, based on what has been told to the biology team, can infiltrate and make their way seamlessly into levels and other spaces. According to The Webmaker, these act in an almost parasitic way, able to weave and shift places however the entity chooses. Somehow, in ways that are unclear to us, The Webmaker enjoys misleading and confusing humans by altering levels. We have not been told why this is done, but based on how they speak of us. It can be assumed this is due to simple spite.
Entity 175 has also proven to be fairly clever, offering to provide their own writings and information when it comes to their own documentation. Doing so was achieved by simply dropping an electronic device or paper into the water-filled opening in the floor, which was soon returned minutes later by one of The Webmaker’s many ribbons.
History:
The significance of The Webmaker’s history was never apparent due to their relative obscurity and preference for being unseen. However, according to The Webmaker, they had a dormancy period that dated from between the late 1800s up until the 1980s when they “awoke from slumber” as they called it.
Before this period of dormancy, The Webmaker claims to have participated in the misguidance of humans for years prior. Given the context provided by The Webmaker, they seem to gain some kind of pleasure and sense of strength from doing so. In this pre-dormancy time, Entity 175 had also been in contact with other entities such as Blanche. Unfortunately, The Webmaker claimed to have annoyed them sufficiently enough to be removed from The Cygnus Archive and other similar domains.
Following an encounter and eventual disagreement with a “Pantheon Individual,” as they called it, The Webmaker suffered some kind of physical injury serious enough to require significant rest to recover from.
In the modern era, The Webmaker claims to continue their meddling and alteration of levels but confesses that it is more of an involuntary process than a voluntary one.
Other details are incredibly inconsistent, vague, and incoherent, but The Webmaker has never stated how long they have existed, let alone why or how they came to be.
Do's and Don'ts:
Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to know when someone is in the presence of Entity 175. Regardless, The Webmaker is only known to minorly inconvenience people, and at worst, can lead people to fairly dangerous situations that could be avoided with quick thinking. Regardless, we cannot provide an accurate list of what someone should and should not do. The most we, at the Charles Darwin Center for Biological Research, can do is to be polite and avoid all possible encounters with The Webmaker to begin with.
This can be done by:
- Avoiding Level 244 and other levels of a Survival Difficulty class of Undetermined or Pending.
- Putting distance between yourself and the metal “well” in which direct communication with Entity 175 is likely.
- Staying away from anomalous portions within levels and spaces.
- Declining discussion or contact with Entity 175.
Additional Notes:
When it comes to the eventual publication of this page, we shall be allowing The Webmaker to make personal additions to this page in order to hopefully provide a greater understanding of their existence. If done properly, the following section will include their own personal writing.
I choose to write elsewhere. I’m not one to be controlled. That should be made clear through my other recounts. Those will be placed between all this.
Whilst my eyes gazed into the well, I continued to observe them questioning and making sense of whatever came from my mouth. They took it at face value despite knowing my nature very well. I could’ve spoken only lies, and they would’ve taken it as fact. Of course, I would never confess if I was indeed telling the full truth. That is simply my nature…
That can be for you to decide.