Info
by Sariastuff
Close-up of charred corpse of Jesse Washington hanging from tree after lynching, Waco, Texas, May 15, 1916 by Library of Congress is in the Public Domain
memento mori
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class 5
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Description:
Level 479 is the designation given to an inscrutable location that presumably exists either outside of the typical boundaries of The Backrooms or within a portion of them inaccessible by normal means. Purposeful entrance into Level 479 has yielded no positive results; all entrances thus far have regretfully been accidental.
Due to a slew of complications regarding memory and communication (see below), the precise details of Level 479 encounters are oftentimes filled in by the mind and are as such unreliable due to their incongruency. Accounts from survivors of Level 479 agree that, stripped to its most basic of descriptions, Level 479 is rusty, dirty, dark, and humid. Structurally, the building is described as resembling either a prison or a hospital. All accounts emphasise the state of disrepair and dilapidation, as well as the lack of adequate light sources, which make it harder to move about during the duration of the experience.
Level 479 encounters graciously last only one or two hours, most likely due the level's instability. Reliable accounts of the level are as elusive as they are due to two factors: their rarity, and the state wanderers are left in following the experience. In terms of rarity, it is thankfully estimated that only eighteen wanderers on average find themselves in Level 479 annually. More cases may exist and go unknown however, due to Level 479's second property: survivors tend to exit the level with some irreparable form of brain damage — mainly of the temporal lobe — which makes communication of the experience difficult or impossible. Damage is often exacerbated within the first five days, and can be either mild or extreme; in some cases, a vegetative or near vegetative state is achieved a week following exposure. The brain damage can leave wanderers vulnerable when they return, which may result in some never living to tell the tale. Survivors never seem to be harmed physically otherwise.
Most victims of Level 479, at some point or another, encounter what is referred to as Entity 479-1. Instances of Entity 479-1 are only described vaguely and never in more detail other than their brown/black colour and their wide stature. Little is known about the entities themselves, their motivations, or their role in the after-effects caused by Level 479, though a dubious link between severity of the symptoms and amount of Entity 479-1 encounters has been suggested.
Up until 2027, no photographic evidence of Entity 479-1 existed until a wanderer, who remains unnamed, was found aimlessly wandering The Backrooms. The wanderer was taken into care and gave their account of the level, presenting the image as proof. The wanderer's condition worsened in the following week and their death followed not long after. More investigation into the nature of Entity 479-1 instances is required, though is difficult to achieve with the current understanding of Level 479 and the poor memory capabilities of its survivors.
The following symptoms have been observed in survivors of Level 479 following one week since exposure in a study of 52 known entrances to Level 479. The list is ordered from highest to lowest occurrence rounded to two significant figures.
Only known image of Entity 479-1. Image also serves as proof of the entities' physicality.
| Symptom | Occurrence/% |
|---|---|
| Impaired sensory processing | 96 |
| Reduced linguistic capabilities | 94 |
| Inability to focus | 90 |
| Impaired short and long-term memory | 89 |
| Brain shrinkage | 81 |
| Difficulty with rote memorisation | 77 |
| Emotional instability | 71 |
| Visual agnosia | 67 |
| Prosopagnosia | 60 |
| Epilepsy | 44 |
| Semantic dementia | 33 |
| Comatose or vegetative states | 12 |
Survivors of Level 479 struggle to adapt to the changes that the level's effects bring with them. A long-term care centre for Level 479 victims has been established in Level 11 to help survivors adapt and guide them towards being able to live a relatively normal life following encounters. Currently, thirty patients are permanently housed in the centre alongside five occupational therapists and medical professionals.
Entrances
Entrances occur randomly. Purposive entrance has yet to occur. There is no warning as to when entrances happen, and there is currently no known variable that increases or decreases chance of entrance. The only thing that one can do is pray that they do not become a victim themselves.
Exits
After an unspecified time period, survivors are randomly transported back to the level they left, or less frequently, to another different location. Should one find a lost wanderer that exhibits any of the described symptoms of a Level 479 encounter, they are encouraged to bring them to the care centre in Level 11. Medical professionals and M.E.G. archivists will conduct assessments afterwards.
In the uncommon instances where the wanderer displays hostility and/or violence, wanderers are urged to exert caution if they are to bring them to a safe location. If the situation is deemed too dangerous however, wanderers are encouraged to disengage for the sake of self-preservation.