SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 1
- {$one}
- {$two}
- High Entity Count
Level 82 during its closing hours.
Description
Level 82's environment represents that of a continuous, never-ending indoor market that follows a rather strict opening and closing schedule. Its landscape is purely that of an indoors nature, though heavily clouded glass in the high ceilings allow in a constant stream of white light from an unknown origin.1
The design of the level bears an extremely loose connection to late Victorian indoor markets, with various modifications from later decades such as halogen bulbs for lights,2 modern metal shutters on stores, cash registers, cash machines, and other small modifications and accessories that were only made after the Industrial Revolution.
Each room in 82 is a rather large, though heavily furnished, room with a floor of rather cold stone bricks. They can follow various inclines, and the ground ascends/descends as if it follows a natural landscape. On occasion, the difference between elevations of one room in comparison to another have formed the need for both stairs and slopes for wheelchair access, though both are already a part of the level's makeup.
Level 82 pre-M.E.O.D, pictured at peak time operation. In this photo, there are approximately 20 human-majority groups, Facelings, and other anomalous entities both behind the stalls and in the pathways.
Within Level 82 are countless, oftentimes tightly packed-together market stalls. These stations are always built into the foundation of the floor, though will oftentimes have open, if not cramped floorplans inside them. Larger stores may have walk-through areas with shelves, mannequins, or whatever kind of display device a specific store would use, usually denoted by the sign above each stall. These shelves are seldom used; however, as most of the goods of the stalls are kept safely behind the counters and in storage rooms inaccessible to those on the buying end.
Smaller stores oftentimes have no walkaround space at all, and are designed for people to walk directly up to them from the outside of the stall, converse with those behind the counter, and leave after purchasing. The counters will be fixed directly around the perimeter of the shop, and sometimes contain glass in them to view products as well. This is especially prevalent at places which usually offer savory food, technology, or any kind of confectionary.
Despite the close clutter of market stalls that populate around 80%3 of each room, the stone pathways between them are often large enough to accommodate a large amount of passing traffic. Usually, around five people standing directly side-by-side are able to fit down the larger size of roads. However, smaller pathways are rather common as well, and those are known to only accommodate approximately three people standing side by side.
The market stalls within Level 82 are, rather bizarrely, exclusively manned by various different entities that populate a vast variety of other Backrooms levels. Usually, these entities are of the more animalistic and hostile sort. Creatures like Smilers, Hounds, Bursters, Reviooks, and even entities that are usually extremely hostile such as Animations and Dentists.
However, all entities within Level 82 are unusually passive. Whilst this effect may seem similar to the entity nulling effects made famous on Level 11, the "effect" in question appears to be a completely willing and mutual agreement across the entirety of Level 82. The entities in the market stalls still act in their usual and aggressive ways in terms of their mannerisms, oftentimes coming across as very reluctant to serve individuals who wish to trade items. However, despite their characteristically cold exteriors, entities on Level 82 are still accepting of trade in a large majority of circumstances.
The vendors, as written on signs in-front of various stalls and the various doors people entering 82 come from, have an extremely loose method of trading items with wanderers. Usually, with exceptions on a case-by-case basis, individuals bartering with the entities behind the counter can explain to the vendor the item they desire, place the item they wish to give up on the counter, and if the entity deems the traded item of equal or higher value, it will take the item from the wanderer and give the wanted item to them.4
NOTICE
Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to swindle, con, or lowball the traders behind the stalls. Whilst acting in a predominantly docile and almost harmless state, the fact that these entities act under such parameters under their own free will has lead to the discovery that these entities can "switch off" these behavioral differences if the individual they are trading with are attempting to scam or push a trade the entity has deemed insufficient. Level 82's entities will kill any individual at a moments notice, and will promptly return back to their station moments later, usually leaving behind the corpse of those they executed in front of their stall.
Humans, or any entities that live alongside humans in human-majority groups, are treated as below the main vendors. The trades of the entities are the final offer, and the entities are not to be interacted with at a close range for long periods of time. These hostile entities are, at the end of the day, still the same hostile entities seen elsewhere in other levels. Exercise caution where necessary.
Level 82 as it begins its annual closing time, as evident by the deactivation of the lights. Occurring an equivalent time to the standard M.E.O.D. 9PM.
On a daily basis, Level 82 experiences a closing time. During this stage, the first occurrence is the closing of stores by the vendors of the various venues via standard metal shutters. The entities, as part of their theoretical schedule, will always close the shutters down from the inside of their stores, locking themselves inside of their shop.
After a majority of the stores have been decommissioned for the non-operating hours, the halogen lights in the level will begin to switch off. Usually, this happens in various (yet closely linked together) intervals, spanning from one side of the room to the other in any amount of time between one and thirty seconds.5 The only source of lights remaining at this point will be the large skylights present in a large majority of the level's rooms, though even these will slowly begin to dim.
Whilst further tests have been attempted to be made to better understand the subsequent events that come during the next periods of general shut-down, the entities inside of Level 82 will, on a strict routine, begin to try and remove any still-present patrons around in the level. Usually, especially for the less vocal and extremely animalistic entities, they do this via emanating hostility and appearing threatening in order to push individuals back towards the nearest exit.6
This process begins every day at a time roughly approximated to 9PM, following M.E.G. Standard Time , and will usually last up until 9:30PM, which is when the mandatory eviction is enacted by the native entities. After this, the level will stay shut up until approximately 7AM, still following the MST format. During these closing hours, all mutual entrances and exits will be locked, whether by the entities themselves or by other means, and access through becomes impossible until reopening the next day.
Should individuals attempt to fight back or be aggressive against being forced to leave, in the exact same case as the bartering, they will swiftly and oftentimes painfully perish at the hands of the level's hosts. Due to the the fact that the previously bartering entities have locked themselves within their own stalls by this point in the closing process, different entities7 are deployed in order to push back or kill those that are still present.
An image from the early M.E.G. era of an individual buying, among other things, Wall Masks.
Bases, Outposts and Communities
The entities within Level 82, as found out via unfortunate semi-frequent bloodshed, do not appreciate the act of loitering or the attempting of any kind of long-term/permanent stay within their walls. Whilst groups are seemingly allowed to move across the scape and window-shop the various stalls, individuals either doing this just to seem busy, or individuals not doing any kind of scouting or buying at all, will eventually be spied out by entities wandering the pathways and be forced to leave via the same methods enacted during closing hours. As has been clearly outlined two prior times, fighting the want of the entities, or simply fighting the entities in general, is a practically suicidal affair. Should the entities direct one to leave, then one should comply. Reentry back into Level 82 is usually accessible to the dispelled wanderer the following working day regardless.8
Because of this, direct bases, outposts, and communities cannot be established. However, the M.E.O.D. has various bases on the levels that connect as both entrances and exits in order to get around the issue and subsequent punishment of what are considered to be "loiterers".
These bases are, with exceptions, usually built directly around or next to every shared entrance/exit to Level 82. They are seldom used for actual habitation or long-term stay of civilians, and are instead used by scavengers and recourse collectors in order to gather materials for the more isolated and remote M.E.O.D. villages and towns that may not be able to sustain the usual habitation that the likes of Level 4 or Level 13.1's bases can.
An exit to Level 82 from Level 125, found within one of the buildings inside of Stillwater. Security for this particular exit is rather high, due to the general uptight security of Stillwater.
Entrances And Exits
Level 82 is somewhat unique in the sense that a majority of its entrances function also as exits. Usually, with exceptions that are listed below, Level 82 is accessible via select buildings that would otherwise be in strange or obscure environments. The list of those buildings, and the parent-levels that they can be found inside, are listed below.
- Convenience stores - Level 33, Level 9, Level 28, Level 147, Level 420, Level 888.
- Malls - Level -998, Level 33, Level 65, Level 125, Level 147, Level 270, Level 420, Level 440.
- Abandoned caravans9 - Level 7, Level 60, Level 102, Level 108, Level 200, Level 233, Level 420, Level 482.
- Large trucks and lorries10 - Level 370, Level 39, Level 69, Level 125, Level 129, Level 300.
- Gas stations - Level 9, Level 10, Level 39, Level 62, Level 83, Level 125, Level ES-41.
- Individual market stalls - Level 0, Level 9, Level 14, Level 37, Level 39, Level 138, Level 166, Level 440, Level 616
- Doors in walls - Level 0, Level 4, Level 9, Level 44, Level 146, Level 178, Level ES-16.
- Trapdoors in the floor or ceiling - Level 2, Level 44, Level 78, Level 134, Level 300, Level 37.
A somewhat refurbished entrance to Level 82 from Level 440, pictured here with individuals checking through various purchases during the rather quick sunset of the level.
One-way entrances
- At times, the usually empty aisles of Level 55 and Level 176 may be flooded with entities that are generally considered hostile11. Should they attack, instantaneous passage to Level 82 is almost guaranteed.
- Exclusively happening within Level 150, wanderers can seamlessly noclip into Level 82 during phase 2, and rarely phase 3 of the "Forge" effects. Originally, when this level was first being discovered in 2018, it was believed that those who discovered Level 82 were instead just being given fake memories of a bizarre location, which is a usual effect of 150's mental deterioration.
- Although Level 167's main centrepiece, and most visited location in general, is the baseball stadium, exit to Level 82 can be done within the main city of the above level via entering any kind of Victorian market building.
The usage of one of the rarer revolving doors that lead into Level 159.
One-way exits
- Exit out to Level 159's "The Forgotten Mall" is possible via finding a large set of revolving doors close to the one of the walls in the many rooms of Level 82. These revolving doors are tethered with to the main entrance of the aforementioned mall, and using them brings one to the mall's exit.
- Visually identically as the doors on levels that act as both entrances and exits listed above, Level 241 is accessible solely as an exit, whereby individuals will arrive through into the Adoption Centre.12
- As with usual entrances to Level 532, finding stone doorways marked with circles will head to the aforementioned level. Usually, these stone doorways are placed alongside that of usual doors for the mutual entrances and exits, though differentiating the two is an extremely easy task due to the different eras of design the two doorway types are based on.