SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 2
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Level 177 is the 178th level of the Backrooms, comprised primarily of an indeterminate and possibly infinite number of red velvet theater seats.
Description:
Level 177 resembles the inside of a large and ostentatious theater house. While the stage and side walls of the theater are viewable from any point within Level 177, the theater does not posses a rear and appears to continue on indefinitely when looking or moving away from the stage.
Although the stage does not appear to recede or approach no matter how far one moves away from or towards it, the seats themselves are numbered and this has been shown as a reliable means of measuring distance within Level 177. To date, the furthest confirmed row of seats reached by any wanderers is Row #744, 400, which was estimated to be over a thousand kilometers away from Row #1. Despite this, the stage remained fully visible.
While the width of the theater is much more finite, it is still inconsistent. The lowest number of seats per row ever encountered was 39, whereas the highest number was 429. In both cases, it was Row #892. Similar, if less extreme, variance in a row's seat count is common.
There are no concession stands on Level 177, and thus no vital resources other than what one brings with them. This is not typically a problem, as exits appear once every thousand rows like clockwork and are always clearly marked by illuminated hanging signs. The only real danger in Level 177 are the seats themselves. This danger is highly insidious, easily ensnaring those who don't know any better and even those who do in moments of exhaustion or absent-mindedness.
Any human being who sits upon any of the seats within Level 177 will become permanently fused to the cushion, unable to ever leave that seat. The seats themselves have proven to be completely indestructible. As such, there is no known way for seated individuals to free themselves, or for unseated wanderers to set them free.
It is imperative then that wanderers avoid sitting in Level 177's seats. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, especially for expedition members spending prolonged periods of time on Level 177. To go days, weeks, or even longer without sitting in a chair when surrounded by countless comfortable cushioned seats is a strangely challenging sort of temptation, and one that many ill-prepared wanderers have proven unable to resist. Any chairs or stools1 brought into Level 177 will be transfigured into a theater seat the moment they are sat upon.
Under no circumstances should a wanderer ever attempt to sit in the lap of a seated individual, as the two individuals will become permanently conjoined in that manner.
While still capable of interacting with non-seated individuals, those trapped upon Level-177's seats will become subjected to a highly distorted experience of time. All essential biological processes appear to be suspended, eliminating any need for food, water, sleep, waste expulsion or even hygiene. Seated individuals can however still consume food and beverages if provided with such from a third party, but no amount of weight gain or muscle atrophy has ever been observed.
The most notable affect of this time distortion is that unless seated individuals are interacting with each other or non-seated wanderers, they do not experience any time in between stage performances.
Entities:
The Entities within Level 177 appear only on stage and in the balcony seats during performances, both of which are inaccessible to wanderers due to space-time distortions. Performances occur at sporadic intervals and last for seemingly random amounts of time, ranging from seven minutes to fourteen hours. It's worth noting that the stage is obscured when sitting upon the floor, making the temptation to sit in the seats during the longer performances even greater.
The Entities performing on stage are typically humanoid. They are, however, always clad in full-body leotards and masks with no exposed skin. As such, it is possible that they are not human. Performances are always original musicals or operas with frequent interpretative dance numbers. The performances are always in either English, French, or a mixture of the two. The subject matter of performances, along with performer dialogue and interactions, are typically very bizarre and likely indicates significant neurological and psychological differences between the performers and baseline humans.
While it is not uncommon for performers to address the audience in general, they've never been known to speak to specific audience members directly. This stands in stark contrast to the Entity who will appear in the balcony seats preceding and during performances. The Entity identifies itself as Lord Raubritter, and enjoys engaging nearby humans in conversation, be they seated or not.
Lord Raubritter appears to be a gaunt Caucasian man, dressed in a double-breasted tail suit, cravat, top hat, and opaque spectacles. He speaks with a German accent, but like the performers is fluent in English and French as well. He most often appears at least several moments before a performance commences, engaging any humans within earshot in idle conversation.
During these conversations, he has claimed to be the current owner, but not the creator, of the theatre, and has also mentioned owning a massive factory somewhere in the Backrooms. While these conversations indicate he is a mostly neurotypical human, he also appears to enjoy the confusing performances immensely2, frequently commenting on them and offering standing ovations, tossing purple roses onto the stage.
Lord Raubritter is the only known individual capable of leaving a seat of his own accord or throwing objects onto the stage. Should any of his human conversation partners remark on these abilities, he'll shrug them off as inconsequential, casually offering to help them out of their seat in exchange for a small favour. If they agree, they will disappear from their seat and reappear in the balcony, where Raubritter will offer them his hand, help them up, and lead them through the balcony exit.
This is the only known method an individual can escape the seats of Level 177, but no individual that Lord Raubritter has freed has ever been encountered again, and their fate is unknown. If asked about this, Raubritter is typically evasive, but will sometimes claim he either took them to some unknown idyllic level or has even freed them from the Backrooms altogether. The M.E.G. is currently exploring options for tracking individuals that have been claimed by Lord Raubritter. Until evidence to the contrary is found, Raubritter's testimony as to what's become of his freed wanderers is considered highly suspect and most likely false.
Bases, Outposts and Communities:
Peanut Galleries
- Parties of individuals ranging from several to hundreds that have intentionally chosen to become trapped on Level 177.
Although the majority of individuals trapped on Level 177 became so accidentally or in solidarity with a loved one who did, it is not unheard of for individuals that have grown weary of wandering the Backrooms to become trapped on Level 177 on purpose, typically in groups to prevent loneliness. Some Peanut Galleries have grown significantly over time, inviting other wanderers to join them when they pass. One should never join a Peanut Gallery lightly, as the decision cannot be reversed, other than by offering oneself to Lord Raubritter.
The M.E.G. routinely sends aid and research teams to provide desired goods and services to seated wanderers, often in exchange for information regarding performances and Lord Raubritter. The Peanut Gallery the starts at Row #519 has proven to be on particularly good terms with Lord Raubritter, and possesses the most detailed information about him.
Entrances And Exits:
Entrances
Any doorway with a marquee sign over it is an entry to Level 177. These signs move about constantly when unobserved, but it is believed that most levels have at least one at any given time. For this reason, it is recommended that expeditions to Level 177 remain there until their mission is complete, as finding entrances can often be quite difficult. Assigning individuals to maintain eye contact with marquee signs has proven a semi-reliable method to keep entrances in one place for at least several hours.
It is also possible to No-clip into Level 177 from almost anywhere else in the Backrooms.
Exits
As mentioned previously, exits from Level 177 are placed every thousand rows and always clearly marked.
While each set of exists leads to a different level, they are not in numerical order, and the order is in a constant state of flux. As such, one should never expect to exit Level 177 from the same door one came through, and returning home is never as straight forward as passing through an exit.
The balcony seats also have their own exits, but no wanderer has have passed through them and returned to tell the tale.