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— — //// — —
You emerge from a lake, soaked and shivering in the icy air. Wading to shore, your knees buckle beneath you, causing you to stumble and collapse onto dry ground. You sit for a brief moment, collecting yourself, knees huddled to your chest as you scan your surroundings.
A subterranean chamber, dark and alien, yawns before you. Haphazard, jagged spikes hang down from the ceiling and jut up from the floor, encircling you much like thick iron bars in a dungeon cell. Craggy tunnels branch out from the room on all sides, harbouring untold horrors lurking in the depths beneath and the labyrinths above. Chittering and clicking from creatures unseen bounce off the walls of the cavern and ring in your ears, along with what might just be the faintest, most distant echoes of human screams.
You are imprisoned still, in the heart of the earth.
The sinking weight of despair returns to your chest.
As you get back on your feet, you notice a sign erected several feet to your left, somewhat obscured by cobwebs. It is just barely legible, painted on with some strange concoction that glitters dimly in the inky blackness. Printed in neat lettering, alongside a familiar eagle insignia, are the words:
WELCOME TO THE 9TH ROAD
« M.E.G. OUTPOST (8.7 MILES|14 KM) »
Help is ahead! Stay strong.
M.E.G. — Bettering Humanity
And thus, the journey continues.
You trudge onward.
— — //// — —
LEVEL
8
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY
CLASS 4
Exit: 4/5
Very Difficult to Exit
Environment: 4/5
Extreme Environmental Risk
Entities: 4/5
Extreme Hostile Presence
A dark cave greets wanderers surfacing from the waters.
Description
The 8th level of the Backrooms is the last of the initial twelve whose environment is wholly enclosed. A sprawling network of underground caves, its web of tunnels is interwoven into a suffocating prison. It is cold, dark, and fraught with peril, predators lurking at every turn.
Given a choice, wanderers are warned to avoid it altogether.
Structure and Layout
By the standards of normal reality, the architecture of most levels prior resemble artificial constructions. Level 8, in contrast, runs wild.
Unlike other subterranean domains such as the sewers of Level 34, the mines of Level 181, or the catacombs of Level 499, Level 8 is generally free of the visage of human engineering, composed predominantly of organic karst caves. Even today, humanity's attempts to civilize this untamed space remain futile, and its natural forces reign unchecked. Its rocky passages are savage, feral, and formidable.
In terms of size, Level 8 is practically infinite. Most settlements, entrances and exits are clustered closely, within a long cylindrical zone approximately 60 miles (95~ km) in length and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in radius. New passages, furthermore, are continually discovered, and the vast majority of the level has yet to be explored. Its true depth remains unknown.
— — //// — —
You have been walking — rather, crawling — for hours.
The passageway has narrowed into a tight tunnel, and you have been forced to move on your hands and knees to make it through. The rocks press in against your shivering body, weighing down on your weary shoulders and squeezing the air out from your lungs.
As you push through a particularly narrow crevice, you feel something wriggle over your right shin and past your ankle. It has too many legs.
You crawl faster.
The tunnel feels like it's swirling around you as you clamber on. You are sure that you were traveling horizontally just a minute ago, but even though there have been no twists or turns, you now feel the force of gravity straining down against your body. Cold sweat starts to drip down your face, drenching your heaving chest. Your stomach lurches.
Nevertheless, you spot an end to the tunnel just ahead. Your movements become haphazard. Careless. Desperate. You gain a few additional scrapes clawing and grasping at the rocks around you. Finally, you muster the strength for a final push upward, squeezing through the opening into a large, round chamber. You lay on the floor, exhausted from the strain, and attempt to gather your bearings.
.
..
…This chamber feels oddly… familiar. You could swear you've seen that rock before — the one that looks just a tad too much like a human face. You spot a marker on the ceiling; it's been a while since you last saw one. You strain your eyes, trying to make out the lettering in the gloom.
"9th Road: Marker #74"
You frown in confusion. Didn't you just pass #78 an hour ago? Or was that #73?
Where are you?
Haven't you been here before?
— — //// — —
Nonstandard Physics
Level 8 is by no means easy to traverse. The very laws governing its nature are unforgiving in every way.
Like many preceding levels, it is subject to the characteristic spatial distortions of non-Euclidian geometry. In other words, space itself functions in a non-linear fashion within its caves. An apparently straight passageway may loop back on itself. Taking the same path a second time may lead to a different chamber. Turning back may not return one to where they came from before.
The confusion of this experience is only compounded by erratic gravitational forces. Gravity fluctuates in magnitude and changes direction from cavern to cavern, sometimes even within a single cave itself. These shifts are chaotic, unpredictable, and thoroughly perplexing.
At its very worst, successful navigation through Level 8 demands military precision. One wayward step can easily confuse the senses. A missed sign may cost one their bearings. A wrong turn will almost certainly result in complete and total disorientation. Focus is essential; mistakes are lethal. Even expert cartographers have lost their way in their valiant attempts to map the tunnels, driven mad as they roam the level's webs. Their missing bodies are seldom found.
Moreover, Level 8 is known for its entropic effects. Though the flow of time itself is unaltered, the effects of time are sped up considerably. Food spoils rapidly, batteries drain quickly, and long-term residents even appear to age at an accelerated rate. Sounds echo louder and lamps shine dimmer than expected1. Entropic effects also intensify when an area is left unobserved. As a result, signposts and navigation markers degrade extremely fast, requiring consistent maintenance or replacement.
M.E.G. SURVIVAL GUIDE?Found yourself stuck in the caves? Fret not — this guide is here to help! Just stay calm and follow these instructions, and you'll be out in no time! (Probably. No guarantee.)
Tip #1: Stay on the 9th Road!
Our mascot Kennith says hello!
Our trusty navigation teams here at the M.E.G. have marked out a path known as The 9th Road to help you find your way around. The Road starts at the entrance pool from Level 6 and runs all the way to the exit at Level 9, so if you're making your way out, it's your best bet!
We know the caverns can be unforgiving. Thankfully, the 9th Road runs through what we call "islands of stability" — regions where space and gravity function more consistently than everywhere else on the level. This makes the Road a safe and reliable route for any wanderer to travel! If you're up for some sights, it even goes past a couple of the nicer landmarks along the way!
The Road also passes by settlements run by our very own operatives, in conjunction with our friends at the B.N.T.G. and the Harmouth Society. You can stop for a shower, a change of clothes, a hot meal, and a place to rest. If you've got things to trade, you can even hire a guide!
The Road is lined with markers about every 50 metres or so (that's 55 yards for you American folks) to keep you on track! You'll recognize 'em by the familiar M.E.G. logo printed on. Whatever you may face, BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE MARKERS — we can't stress this enough. Otherwise, who knows where you'll end up!
Stay safe!
— — //// — —
You are cold.
Moisture first began dripping from the ceiling. Then it trickled from the walls, and pooled as a stream along the floor. It was welcome at first. It quenched your thirst, almond-flavoured as it was.
The waters became a little less welcome when they rose past your ankles.
They are now at your neck.
As you wade through the rushing stream, you spot a generously large ledge, several feet above the water, at the opposite end of the cavern. You quicken your pace towards it.
The waters are at your chin, now. You pause for a moment, scanning your surroundings for any closer sign of dry land.
.
..
…There is none. As you continue your desperate trudge forward, you try not to imagine what creatures might lurk under the rippling waves. You try not to imagine that the ground, with every step, might suddenly give way to a yawning chasm, hidden beneath the flood's uniform surface.
The waters have risen to your bottom lip.
The ledge is still several paces away, out of reach. You tilt your head back to stay above the waves, flailing your arms wildly as you begin to lose your balance.
The waters rise past your upper lip and continue to climb.
You have no choice. You must swim.
As the waves surge upward, you kick off the ground with your feet, propelling your face above the water for one last moment, taking one final gulp of air.The next instant, you plunge your head into the icy depths.
— — //// — —
Environment
The environs of Level 8 are thoroughly inhospitable.
Oxygen is often limited — the air in many caverns is foul and stagnant, harboring dangerous concentrations of carbon dioxide. Some contain harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, ammonia, or a raw compound similar to rixa gas.2 Deaths by asphyxiation are common — though they pale in comparison to the sheer loss of life by drowning alone.
Almond water flows freely across the caverns, ebbing and flowing chaotically under the influence of unseen tides. Many caves are partially or fully waterlogged, inaccessible to most except experienced divers. Fluctuating water levels mean that some networks are particularly prone to sudden, spontaneous flooding. Bone-dry chambers may be completely submerged in a matter of seconds.
Those who escape drowning may yet die of hypothermia. Most regions carry frigid temperatures of 50-60°F (10-15°C). Some systems, however, have been known to reach sweltering heights of 110°F (43°C) and above, owing to peculiarities in their chemical and ecological composition.
M.E.G. SURVIVAL GUIDE
Tip #2: Stay hydrated, warm, and AWAKE!
Level 8 is full of Almond Water. You can find pools of it all around, and it's generally safe to
drink! It might taste a bit bitter, but that's just some harmless minerals that found their way in
from the rocks around. They're actually good for you!
Although it's good to hydrate, be aware that TAKING A BATH IS A REALLY BAD IDEA. It might be refreshing at first, but because of how cold the caves are, you can soon get VERY sick! Instead, avoid taking a dip, and put on some warm clothing if you can. Our friends at Harmouth can supply you proper caving suits at any of their camps. They've got warm fleece on the inside, and waterproof polyester on the outside (not to mention lots of handy pockets!). That way, if you have to wade through a puddle or a waterfall, you can stay nice and dry, and keep yourself from freezing up!
Oops… Kennith got wet.
Another important tip: whatever happens, KEEP AWAKE! If you do get drenched and feel cold, know that victims of hypothermia (freezing to death, that is) tend to die because they give in to exhaustion. When they close their eyes, they can't open them again. It might be unpleasant, but if you force yourself to keep going, you might just make it to safety. Help often isn't as far as you may think!
What if you're not cold, or wet? Well, unless you're absolutely SURE you're in a place that's safe, it's still unwise to take a snooze. If you've got friends with you, sleep in shifts, and only if you absolutely must. Note that drowsiness can be a sign of dangerously low oxygen levels… all the more reason not to doze off. Besides, who knows what might happen while you nap? A spider might crawl into your mouth! Blegh!
Keep those eyes open!
— — //// — —
By some miracle, you have made it to the ledge.
You grab the rough, rocky surface with both hands and heave yourself up onto dry land. Coughing, spluttering, and sopping wet, you emerge from the waters for a second time since your arrival in the caves.
You lie on your back, shivering. You dry slowly, the moisture and the last vestiges of life within you leaching out from your skin into the frigid air. The ceiling begins to drift in and out of focus. Perhaps… perhaps you should take a rest. Perhaps sleep will bring you strength. As your eyelids start to droop, your head lolls to the left.
A human silhouette stares back at you, seated against the wall.
You now find yourself, quite remarkably, up on your feet, staring in astonishment at this new acquaintance.
He is dead.
Laid neatly at his feet is a backpack. You rummage through it, claiming for yourself a battery-powered heater and a flashlight. Somehow, your fumbling, quivering fingers manage to turn the heater on. You sit for a minute, warming yourself, as you stare curiously at your dead savior.
The cause of death is obvious. You can see the dent in his skull where his head must have hit the floor, as he attempted to scale the wall against which he is now reclining.
It is unclear, however, how he had died in such a prim and proper position. Perhaps in his last moments he had set himself aright, to find some dignity in death. Perhaps he'd had others with him, who had laid him there after his passing..
Tentatively, you reach forward to press your fingers against his wrist, and then his neck. There is no doubt about it — he is dead. Though the body is without pulse and cold to the touch, there are no spiders or moths about. Neither is there the foul stench of decay. His demise cannot have been more than a day ago, for he has not yet begun to rot.
You now eye the orange caving suit.
You hesitate, clutching the zipper between your thumb and forefinger. You stare into the body's lifeless, unseeing eyes. They stare back, expressionless.
.
..
…You wonder what he would think, if he were still alive. You wonder what his friends might think, if they ever returned. You wonder — if you give him your own clothes afterwards… will what you are about to do be just a little bit less appalling?
Wincing apologetically, you close your eyes, and turn your face away in shame. With a trembling hand, you pull swiftly down on the zipper.
You undress the corpse and claim its clothes.
— — //// — —
Terrain and Speleology
The level's cavernous terrain makes no accommodations for human comfort. Even along the 9th Road, smaller tunnels tend to be tight, low, and awkwardly shaped. The floors of larger chambers are littered with loose rocks, making it easy to slip. Vertical shafts require great physical exertion and athletic prowess to scale. Corpses are strewn along difficult passages, with shattered bones and fractured skulls.
Level 8 Report: Intriguing Intricacies!
Perilous as they are, these caves hold a remarkably diverse spectrum of rock formations. The mysterious workings of the extranormal physics here have resulted in eccentric networks which are as beautiful as they are dangerous. Among bolder and more well-equipped communities — such as ours! — they have long been the basis of much careful study.
— Sir Reginald Harmouth III, Founder of the Harmouth Speleological Society
Descriptions of typical cavern types and rock formations are detailed below.
A phreatic tube. Note the cavern's elliptical "eye shape".
Phreatic Tubes
In regular reality, phreatic tubes take form when water and sedimentary particles erode cracks between rocks over time — particularly at the horizontal surface between two different mineral beds (known as the "bedding plane"). As they are formed by a constant flow of fluid, phreatic tubes are known for their roughly uniform "eye-shaped" structure, with the cavern ceiling arching upward and the floor arching downward from the bedding plane.
However, due to the effects of nonstandard physics and inconsistent gravity, many phreatic tubes in Level 8 form chaotically. Bedding planes are often not uniform, and not even horizontal. Phreatic tubes may form in oddly slanted directions, and often twist and loop in apparently impossible directions.
Ecology
Some portions of Level 8 appear empty, devoid of entities altogether. Others, however, house entire habitats which teem with life.
Level 8 Report: Entity ecosystems?
Most people are used to seeing entities in the Backrooms as these senseless monsters. They "spawn" and "despawn" randomly. They don't need to sleep or eat. They eat people anyway.
But in Level 8, things function… differently. In my recent expeditions with the Harmouth Society, we've uncovered caverns with entire ecosystems full of life. Most shocking of all, these habitats work COHERENTLY. They've got functioning food chains and energy cycles that actually sustain what's living inside them!
In any case, this lines up well with my recent theories on the way entities actually function. Humanity's conventional understanding of them has GOT to change. We're always going to be afraid of things we don't understand. But that doesn't mean these things are impossible for us to grasp. The existence of coherent ecosystems within Level 8 proves that entities aren't always "senseless", or "illogical", or "nonsensical".
They just have a logic we don't fully understand. At least… not yet.
— Former M.E.G. Head Field Researcher Eden G██████████ †
Across its caverns, the level hosts a wide variety of ecological systems. Despite the chaotic and disordered nature of their environment, these ecosystems are known to be coherent, organized, and complex. Descriptions of some of the more well-documented and unique habitats are detailed below.
— — //// — —
At the entrance to the cavern, you are arrested with awe.
Before you, an incalculable host of lights sparkle with an incredible brilliance, illuminating the gloom of the cave like bejeweled stars studded across a velvet night sky. Weaving and twirling, they frolic freely overhead, their silent dance a mesmerizing mosaic of shifting constellations.
Beneath your feet runs a stream, cold and clear. You kneel by the riverbank, cup the icy water between your hands, and lift it to your lips. It is refreshing, free of the sickening almond flavour to which you have become accustomed. Its cool flow radiates through your insides, rejuvenating your worn body. You quench your thirst, tilting your head back to gulp indulgently, and flop down on the ground for a rest.
You sit for a moment, soaking in the blissful silence, and ponder your journey thus far.
Perhaps the caves are not as malicious as you first thought.
.
..
…As you ruminate in quiet wonder, one of the lights descends through the air to break your solitude. Its brilliance radiates gently off the dark, rippling waves, bathing you in its transcendent, blue-green glow. The creature pauses in its alluring dance, floating at eye-level, barely an arm's length away.
Captivated, you reach out towards it.
The light guide waits — patient, curious.
You hold your breath. Your outstretched hand edges forward, slowly, delicately, eager not to frighten the creature. Your fingers hover less than an inch away, a hair's breadth from the otherworldly orb.
Then it takes off, whizzing through the air in an elaborate, rhythmic display, beckoning you toward the opening to another cavern.
There it settles — eager, expectant.
It urges you onward.
— — //// — —
Hyperspace Lane
This network of twenty-three long, narrow passageways contains glowing bacteria and fungi that feed off of almond water deposits seeping through cracks in its walls. It also contains a population of native light guides, which are known to help wanderers navigate through its winding corridors.
Larger passages also contain flowing rivers of regular, non-almond water, which house several species of eyeless fish, shrimp, and newts, feeding off organic debris which flows in from other cavern systems. Xenon marbles may be found at the bottom of these streams, which serve as nesting grounds for the light guides in the region.
— — //// — —
You try not to breathe.
Crouched in the dark, you cower in a cleft in the rock, the blind predator crawling in and out of view above you. Sniffing and clicking, it clambers over to a patch of loose rocks on the other end of the chamber, and manically burrows through.
It finds nothing.
The beast screeches with fury and grabs a boulder with all four of its arms, hurling it viciously against the floor. It smashes into pieces, the impact vibrating through your trembling body. The creature scurries frenetically around the chamber, repeating the process again and again. Its howls of frustration ring in your ears.
You are not alone in your hiding place either.
You can feel the spiders swarming — up your chest, across your arms, down your back — intrigued by your unannounced intrusion into their abode. One crawls up your neck, scuttling across your face and past your ear. You cover your mouth with a hand, suppressing a violent urge to scream.
Suddenly, the predator stops directly above you, peering down into the crack. You look down, and squeeze your eyes firmly shut.
Sucking in as much air as you can, you hold your breath as you hear the predator lifting the rock directly above you. Its grunts and snorts draw nearer, as its hideous body crawls down into the hole where you are hiding. It leans in towards you, sniffing at the air an inch from your nose.
You feel its breath on your face.
.
..
…Something strange is happening.
A distant rumble travels through the rock under your feet.
The creature appears to notice it as well. Abruptly, it withdraws, scuttling back out of the crevice. Your eyes still shut fast, you hear it growling and bristling overhead.
Then, with volcanic force, something explodes into the chamber above you. Over the rumbling, you hear the predator's shriek of terror, and what sounds like the crunch of bone.
And all at once… it is over. You remain crouched where you are for almost an hour before you dare to emerge.
The chamber is empty. A single, mangled arm is strewn on the cavern floor, some distance away. You approach it, warily, with shaky, stumbling steps. The lone appendage lies unmoving on the floor. Spiders have already begun to surround it, nibbling curiously at the fresh meat.
You gaze in fascinated horror at the exposed bone. It has been snapped clean in two.
— — //// — —
In addition to the above ecosystems, some entities are prevalent all throughout the caves. The most common examples have been listed below.
Wranglers
More complete documentation on Wranglers may be found here.
Illustration of a male wrangler.
Wranglers are massive serpentine predators, with adults often reaching — and even exceeding — a mile (1.6km) in length. Though their bodies are elongated and snake-like in appearance, with slimy grey skin, they possess humanoid heads, with distinctive white, glowing eyes. The faces of male wranglers are uncannily human, with mouths that perpetually sport disturbing, broad smiles. Female faces more closely resemble those of arthropods, with pincers sprouting from their jaws.
At rest, the entities lie exposed within the caves. However, to hunt, they burrow into the rock layers of Level 8, twisting and turning their bodies in a drill-like motion to generate the immense power needed to force their bodies through the ground. While younger specimens burrow physically through the rock, mature adults eventually gain the ability to travel by no-clipping through, only materializing physically when they are close to their prey.
The hunting behavior of Wranglers also contributes to the instability of the caverns. Larger wranglers can damage caves as they burrow to hunt, altering the composition of the networks significantly. The specimen responsible for the infamous Level 8 Incident created dramatic structural shifts across the level in its entirety, resulting in over five hundred confirmed casualties in total. The wrangler's body was several orders of magnitude larger than average adult specimens, and required several hundred tonnes of pyroil to burn away. Overall, it was estimated to span a colossal 70 miles (112km) in total length.
It is believed that specimens of even larger size may lay dormant further below.
Arachnids
More complete documentation on Arachnids may be found here.
Within the caves, a disproportionately large number of lifeforms fall under the Arachnida family of arthropods. The arachnids of Level 8 include scorpions, ticks, mites, and — principally — innumerably many species of spiders.
While some spiders occupy important roles within healthy ecological systems, the vast majority of them form large, single-species clusters. Entire swathes of some networks are dominated entirely by colonies of spiders. These are to be avoided at all costs. Many species found in such colonies are aggressively territorial, and will not hesitate to give chase to hapless victims who disturb their habitats.
M.E.G. SURVIVAL GUIDE
Tip #7: Creepy Crawlies
Where do these lil' guys keep coming from?
Everyone knows that Level 8 has a bit of a spider problem. No matter how much bug spray you carry, you're bound to find 'em in your hair, in your backpack, and — worst of all — in your rations. Extra protein!
While one, two, or ten spiders aren't normally a problem, some caverns have nests with literal thousands of the critters crawlin' around. The 9th Road generally avoids the areas that are a bit worse off, but new nests are known to pop up along the path from time to time. DO NOT DISTURB THESE COLONIES — they're about as territorial as your average wasp nest, and many species are HIGHLY venomous! If you do happen to stumble into a nest by accident, your best bet is probably to get to the nearest body of water. Spiders can't swim! Well… most of them can't, anyway.
There is a chance you may come across nest caverns with strange glowing emblems nearby, resembling hieroglyphs or occult markings. If you encounter such symbols, stop what you're doing, sketch or photograph what you've found, and leave the vicinity as soon as possible. Next, head back to the nearest campsite, and notify any M.E.G. personnel there immediately.
NEVER under any circumstance enter caverns with these markings.
Recent research has suggested that most spiders are not actually native to Level 8. The purported extranormal abilities3 of many breeds appear to be the products of Arcane Glyph Magic — for which the Church of the Veiled is almost certainly responsible.
Level 8 Report: Introduced Species?
Our recent surveys have corroborated what the Harmouth guys have been telling us. Data shows that clusters of "arachnid infestations" are centered around the old Veiled territory, and their frequency drops off dramatically outside it. This is just more evidence of our mounting suspicions that the arachnids of Level 8 by and large consist of invasive species — more than likely introduced by the Veiled.
The clusters don't fit with the other complex ecosystems we see around the caves. They're completely dysfunctional; there just shouldn't be enough food around to sustain such massive populations. I've examined a few specimens from these nests, and I can say with certainty that something just feels fundamentally wrong with these creatures.
Even if we've flushed out the Veiled, they've been here so long that their impact's left a scar on the level's ecosystems. They've been experimenting on these spiders for hundreds of years. In all that time, who knows what else they've done in this place.
— M.E.G. Entity Research Specialist "Gums"
Hands of Tar
Pools of a viscous, tar-like substance4 are scattered across the caves. The temperature of the fluid varies from pool to pool but may reach heights of up to 203°F (95°C). They should be avoided — wandering too close will trigger a group of tar-covered humanoid hands to reach out from the pool, dragging their helpless victim into the boiling, acrid substance to be smothered to death.
Owing to their vicious nature, the hands of tar lurking within these pools are poorly studied. The few survivors reported losing consciousness in the pool and then finding themselves in either Level 41 or Level 91 upon waking.
— — //// — —
You'd expected your reunion with other living people to be a bit more dramatic.
You had thought that the encounter would be more emotional. Perhaps you would have shouted for joy, or embraced your fellow man, or even wept, kneeling as you kissed the boots that clad their equally aching feet.
Yet here you are, huddled unremarkably around a campfire amidst this group of sorry survivors. Spoons clink against ceramic bowls as everyone silently enjoys the bliss of steaming hot soup. You slurp the concoction down rather noisily yourself, too grateful to question what exactly the floating chunks of meat within it might be.
You plan out what to do with yourself next. A hot shower and a bed for a week, for just as many days of labour in exchange. The work would be trivial compared to the gruelling journey you've endured thus far. It would, furthermore, provide time for advantageous conversation, to glean some knowledge of the workings of this accursed catacomb, and perhaps some clue of a way out.
You can hardly believe how ordinary it all feels — as if you had always been here, surrounded by these nameless companions all your life.
The normality of it all is surreal.
As you continue to survey the bedraggled crowd, a child runs up to greet you. Though her blonde hair is matted and unkempt, her face smeared with smudges, and her dress ragged and tattered, there is a light in her eyes that you have not known yourself for quite some time.
"Hey! You're new here. What's your name?"
You smile, slightly abashed.
"I'm… not sure I remember."
It strikes you that these may be your first spoken words in months.
"I don't mind." The little girl beams, and holds out a hand.
"I'm Carla! Nice to meet you!"
A warmth spreads through your chest, one deeper and richer than even the heat radiating from the campfire. You reach for a handshake, but find yourself pausing. Your arm hovers awkwardly, half outstretched.
No, you decide. That would be too typical. Too conventional, for such a circumstance as this.
Instead, you reach into your right thigh pocket, brushing past your flashlight, to something cold, rough and jagged. You retrieve the stone kazoo, and place it into Carla's outstretched palm. Gently, you close her fingers over it, and give her fist a firm, affectionate squeeze.
The girl pauses for a moment, her bright, curious eyes locked with yours.
Then, as abruptly as she came, the child scurries off, clutching her newfound prize to her chest with glee.
You watch Carla as she returns to her mother, curling up and snuggling against her chest, her gaze affixed upon the gift in her hands. The light from the crackling flames bounce off her round, dark eyes.Somewhere within, there is a spark of wonder.
— — //// — —
Landmarks, Settlements, and Communities
Contrary to expectations, larger caverns are indeed capable of supporting sizeable populations — especially those containing rivers or lakes. Apart from vitamins C and D,5 native lifeforms such as fish can provide sufficient nutrition to sustain human life. Indeed, many permanent communities are known to exist within the level's islands of stability.
Along the 9th Road in particular, several settlements and encampments have been established to provide shelter, food, and other basic necessities. For those too old, sick, injured, or otherwise unable to complete their journey out from the caves, these have become a permanent refuge in which to live out the rest of their days.
However, not all residents of the caves are friendly. Mid-sized caverns along the center sections of the Road are known to house squatters who have given up hope of escape and who subsist purely off of vagrancy or thievery. Many of these chambers are not suited for prolonged human habitation due to poor air quality, stagnant water, and a lack of food sources. Without proper governance or management of any kind, these organic clusters easily deteriorate into overpopulated slums, rife with criminal activity, disease, and appalling conditions.
Wanderers are strongly advised to seek shelter in established and well-equipped settlements rather than contributing to these destructive enclaves.
History and Discovery
Level 8 has been known from antiquity. For hundreds — if not thousands — of years, the caves have been employed by the Church of the Veiled, the Lost, the Eyes of Argos, and other ancient groups, for benign and nefarious purposes alike. The successful expulsion of the Veiled in 2016 has removed many obstacles previously preventing archaeology, allowing more accurate historical reconstructions of human activity in the caves.
Brevity will not permit an adequate examination of the level's extensive past, as unearthed by recent efforts. Let it suffice for us to ponder the mystery of its original discovery and the secrets buried yet further below, concealed by the ever-shifting passage of time.
The Hypogeal Plane is a cleithral network of caves, its sprawling tunnels interwoven into a suffocating prison. It is bitterly cold, oppressively dark, and fraught with incalculable peril, predators of all kinds lurking at every turn.
Given a choice, travellers are warned to avoid it altogether.
Yet those who dare to brave its depths — or those whom fate sets upon its path — may find in its caves more than meets the eye. Its hollows hold subterranean worlds, restlessly alive with Stygian beauty, their ferocious vigor defying the shadows still.
Though the darkness lingers long, faint hope glimmers within the gloom.
— Excerpt from "Τα Διαστημικά Βιβλία" (Ta Diastimiká Vivlía), Tome VII7
Entrances And Exits
— — //// — —
The crowds that once accompanied you on the Road have dispersed. Many have been lost to the cold, the dark, or the monsters that lurk in the shadows. Of the few who have survived these perils, most have turned aside, finding what refuge they can in the worn, scattered outposts of the M.E.G., its allies, or in the slums surrounding the colonies of the Unbound.
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…You are alone now.
As you trudge ever onward, you feel the rock turn to sand, and the sand to gravel, and the gravel to asphalt under your leaden, aching feet.
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…A dim glow looms in the distance, a speck in your vision approaching ever so slowly.
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…At last, the nightmare is over…
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