Level 412

Level 412, also known as "Surrounding Darkness" or "The Dark Pillars", is the 413th level of the Backrooms.
==》Description==
Level 412 is naturally permeated by darkness, consisting of a massive space of unknown size with circular columns spread evenly in every direction. The columns are made of light grey limestone and are evenly spaced next to each other, approximately 6 meters wide and 48 meters apart each. They extend upwards for approximately 250 meters before ending at a smooth granite ceiling of a darker grey. The ground is made of the same material and possesses the same color as the ceiling.
Despite the absence of any apparent light sources, one is always able to see in the level. However, this visibility is limited to a certain range, and one can only see clearly for approximately 20 meters ahead of oneself.
Sounds do not echo in Level 412, although sound still travels otherwise normally in the level. Due to this, it is believed that there is an unknown anomalous property in said level that is preventing sound from echoing.
Additionally, there is a singular entity that resides in Level 412 and is thought to be level-exclusive called the Devourer. Because of this entity, one should never attempt to stay in Level 412 for long.
No one has ever seen another wanderer or entity in Level 412 besides the level-exclusive entities there, leading many to believe that the level is large enough that it is extremely unlikely to encounter anyone else. However, others believe that Level 412 possesses an anomalous property that makes every wanderer and entity invisible and intangible to one another, with the exception of the level-exclusive entities. This would suggest that said entities have the ability to bypass the aforementioned anomalous property.
===》Fissures===
Fissures in the granite floor of Level 412 are sparsely present throughout the level, ranging from fissures the length of medium-sized houses that are no more than 3 meters deep to fissures that have no apparent end and are around 10 meters deep. Large fissures have bridges made of dark grey limestone spanning across them, with bridges on the same fissure being located at an average of 1 km apart each. Columns are never located near the fissures, with the minimum recorded distance between a column and a fissure being 8 meters. One's vision is more limited near every fissure than anywhere else in Level 412, with one only being able to see approximately 10 meters ahead of oneself as opposed to 20 meters. Despite their rarity, one has a good chance of being near a fissure upon arriving in Level 412.
Every wanderer who has reported being near a fissure or on one of the bridges has also reported being watched by a malevolent presence that appears to be associated with a powerful and unnatural sense of fear. When one is supposedly being watched by this presence, they become extremely fearful of it; whether an individual is actually brave or not barely impacts on their experience, as braver individuals only have a small advantage. Additionally, individuals being watched by the malevolent presence usually have an intuition that it wishes to deeply scare them, though some have reported that the presence wants to kill them instead. According to reports, no two wanderers have ever been observed by this entity at the same time, suggesting that the malevolent presence is, in fact, an entity and not an anomalous phenomenon associated with the fissures.
==》Entities==
Level 412 has only two confirmed entities, both of which are seemingly level-exclusive: the Devourer and Visceras. Additionally, the malevolent presence has not been confirmed as an entity and has therefore not been listed.
===》The Devourer===
 > OPEN ENTITY FILE > CLOSE ENTITY FILE 
The Devourer
==》Description==
The Devourer is an extremely large, quadrupedal entity that attacks any wanderer or entity in sight. It has only been documented in Level 412 and is thought to be the only one of its kind. It possesses a large circular mouth that has sharp teeth and that is surrounded by tentacles. The entity is able to sense any organism's general location from anywhere in the level after said organism has spent an indeterminate amount of time — believed to be over 1 hour — in Level 412. It is believed that this sense becomes more accurate as time passes. However, it can only sense organisms in the same level it is in.
One should try to avoid the Devourer and find a way out of Level 412 as soon as possible if one finds themselves in the level. Should one encounter the Devourer, one should run away as fast as they can and try to out-maneuver it using the columns, as running in a straight line will almost surely result in the entity quickly catching up. Stealth is also likely to fail, as the Devourer will most likely sense one if they attempt this.
==》Behaviours==
The Devourer will hunt down prey whenever it senses them. Its tentacles are sometimes used to attack prey (prey being any organism smaller than it); it has been known to use them to pick up said prey and throw them into its mouth. Another attack method it uses is simply slashing at its prey with its claws.
==》Biology==
The Devourer is believed to be approximately 30 meters tall, almost twice as long, and approximately 20 meters wide. It has thick, dark grey skin and sharp claws capable of rending through 2 cm-thick steel with ease. Its main distinguishable trait upon visual observation, however, is its head: its face consists of a large, circular mouth ringed with 3 sets of razor-sharp teeth surrounded by tentacles. However, it does not have any eyes or ears, though it still appears to be able to accurately 'sense' the exact location of anything in front of it and react to noises.
==》Discovery==
The first individual to officially discover the Devourer was Henry Harold, who discovered it on an exploring mission for the M.E.G. after being separated from his squad on Level 27. He was subsequently eaten by the Devourer upon discovery after spending approximately 2 hours within Level 412.
===》Visceras===
 > OPEN ENTITY FILE > CLOSE ENTITY FILE 
Visceras
Notice
Currently, information regarding the Visceras is scarce and they still remain largely mysterious, and so their file has been given a detailed summary instead of the usual categorized sections. The file will be updated once more information regarding these entities is gathered.
==》Summary==
Visceras are creatures with a blood-red color, spherical 'centers', and extremely long, protruding tendrils; their 'skin' is also noticeably fleshy and somewhat gooey in appearance. These entities inhabit the uppermost part of Level 412 and vary in size, with some being as large as an adult-sized chair and some as large as a medium-sized house. They are usually wrapped around the columns and spread across the ceiling, with the thicker tendrils spread similarly to spider webs between columns. They avoid areas where there are fissures below, suggesting that the malevolent presence that resides at the fissures also has an influence in the areas far above said fissures.
It is believed that every Viscera is part of a hive mind. However, it is also believed that, unlike hive minds that exist in the Frontrooms, such as those of bees or wasps, Visceras are connected telepathically to the point of having the same shared knowledge as one another and receiving the same sensory input.
Visceras mostly remain still, although sometimes one of their tendrils will slowly move. They are believed to be passive in nature, though it is unknown how a Viscera will react if threatened or if it is even capable of fighting back. So far, no attempts have been made to interact with any Viscera due to the potential risks involved with such an interaction.
==》Attached Information==
Below are recovered notes and logs from wanderers concerning Level 412.
Recovered Note from Level 4:Ancient Origins
I've managed to escape from the nigh-endless darkness of Level 412 into the calming pools of Level 37, but there are still some things about Level 412 that interest me — mainly, the level's mysterious yet undeniably ancient origins. The level possesses architecture that appears to be Greek, due to the intricate pillars that can be found everywhere throughout the level. This suggests that Level 412 is one of the oldest levels in the Backrooms, as most levels possess architecture that resemble modern buildings or structures. Confusingly, this would mean that Level 412 deserves the title of a smaller level number. However, this would likely be the wrong choice; levels are numbered based on their date of discovery rather than their origins. Additionally, Level 0 serves as the main entry point of most wanderers who first enter the liminal reality of the Backrooms, rendering the renumbering of Level 0 unreasonable despite it's more modern-esque appearance.
Interestingly, the existence of the infamous Devourer, the giant beast that dwells within Level 412 and is feared by all who wander the level and know of its presence there, points towards the level being centered around Greek mythology. After all, is the Devourer not the stuff of myths? A nightmare creature that lurks in an endless chamber of darkness? Certainly, the Devourer belongs on the list of mythological creatures and monsters from stories told by inhabitants of the Frontrooms and Backrooms alike.
- Ray Ferring - 6/04/2021
Recovered Note:Fear
I have traversed many levels of the Backrooms, from levels that invoke one with an existential dread to levels filled with terrifying monsters. Despite everything, despite the turmoil and the inevitability of endless labyrinths and corridors, I have always persevered.
However, never in my travels have I faced a completely unknown entity, one I could not fight nor flee from. This is what I face now — an unknown fear that I cannot see or hear. A part of me knows that this entity — whatever and wherever it may be — is probably not as dangerous as the average deadly entity, such as Hounds or Skin-Stealers, as it hasn't attacked me, but it still seems capable of invoking an unreasonable yet powerful sense of fear in me. It also seems to have malevolent intentions, though I don't know how I know that. Maybe this entity has memetic effects that allow one to realize this? Whatever the case, I believe this entity is playing on humanity's natural fear of the unknown.
- Unknown - 4/02/2022
===》Upper Sector Exploration Log===
 > OPEN EXPLORATION LOG > CLOSE EXPLORATION LOG 
Upper Sector Exploration Log
Exploration conducted on 4-12-2018 by Darren Gregory (DG). The purpose of the exploration was to determine the existence of a ceiling in Level 412. He was reporting to M.E.G. operative Ryan Lee (RL) during the exploration.
Any relevant events transpiring in the original recording have been subsequently documented into text in the following log for convenience.
----<Commence>
<DG arrives in Level 412.>
DG: Okay, I've arrived in Level 412.
RL: Good work. Make it fast.
DG: Got it.
<DG walks quickly to the nearest column in front of him. He pulls out climbing blades designed by the M.E.G. to help one climb to the ceiling of Level 412 and begins climbing.>
<Approximately 26 minutes pass, with the sounds of DG climbing being audible. After the aforementioned amount of time passes, DG stops climbing.>
DG: I think I see something. It looks like, I dunno, tendrils?
RL: Be careful - it might be an entity.
DG: Will do.
<DG resumes climbing; pause.>
DG: I think it is an entity, and there may be more than one. They have spherical centres with a large number of tendrils protruding out of them, and they're dark red in colour. They're not attacking, though.
RL: Alright, noted. Anything else of interest you see, about the entities or your surroundings?
DG: Yeah, I think I see... It's the ceiling! I see a ceiling, the same material and colour as the floor of the level. The entities are covering the ceiling like vines.
RL: Anything else of note about the entities?
DG: They're wrapped around the columns and the thicker tendrils are spread between them like spider webs. It's like the entire ceiling of the level is overgrown with them.
<One of the tendrils slowly moves.>
Wait - one of the tendrils moved just then. It was only for a few seconds, and not very fast.
RL: Okay, return to the floor and noclip through a pillar. You'll receive instructions on where to go from there. And hurry, it's getting closer to the hour mark. Good luck.
<End>
----DG returned safely back to his base, where he presented the recording of the events that transpired during his exploration.
===》Sub-Entity Discovery Log===
 > OPEN DISCOVERY LOG > CLOSE DISCOVERY LOG 
Sub-Entity Discovery Log
Discovery transpired on 1-10-2019 when Sarah Worthington (SW) discovered a new type of Viscera. She was on her way back to her M.E.G. outpost after placing multiple beacons in Level 412 to test whether or not it was possible for multiple people to interact in the level. She was reporting to M.E.G. operative Adam Harrison (AH) during the mission.
Any relevant events transpiring in the original recording have been subsequently documented into text in the following log for convenience.
----<Commence>
SW: On my way back.
AH: Okay, hurry.
<A faint 'plip' sound can be heard. SW immediately turns toward the sound.>
SW: OH N- wait, there's nothing there.
AH: What?
SW: I-I heard something, like a - a drop of water landing on the ground, maybe?
AH: Maybe your water bottle's leaking?
SW: No, I don't think so. Hold on, I see something!
<SW moves closer toward the source of the sound>
SW: It looks like a red sludge of some kind. Maybe blood?
AH: Is anything else near you?
SW: No. I think it fell from the ceiling.
<The red sludge moves slightly in SW's direction. SW backs away quickly.>
SW: It moved! Wait, it stopped.
AH: Be careful.
<SW walks back toward the red sludge and examines it.>
SW: This matches the descriptions that explorers gave when they were describing the Visceras!
AH: Interesting.
SW: I'm going to take it back to base.
AH: What!? No! Have you heard about the hive mind theory? You could have every Viscera out to get you if you touch it!
SW: I doubt it. I mean, it could just be a severed chunk.'''
<Pause>
AH: Just watch out.
<SW kneels on the ground and pokes the red sludge, then quickly pulls her hand away. When it doesn't move, she picks it up and stands.>
SW: Got it. I'm heading back now.
<End>
----SW returned safely back to her M.E.G. outpost and presented the recording of the above events. The new entity was transported to an E.R.C. laboratory to be studied and was subsequently classified as a sub-entity of the Viscera.
Click here for more information on what happened to the sub-entity.
==》Colonies and Outposts==
No colonies or outposts have been discovered or established in Level 412, and it is likely impossible to establish any due to the isolating nature of the level and the Devourer residing within.
==》Discovery==
The first individual to officially discover Level 412 was Henry Harold, who was also the first to discover the Devourer, as mentioned above in the Devourer file in the 'entities' section.
==》Entrances and Exits==
===》Entrances===
* Breaking through the floor of Level 27 and falling through will noclip one here.
* Dilapidated hallways in the khrushchevkas of Level 245 leads one here.
* Noclipping through the floor in Level 20 will lead here.
* There are rumors that one can access Level 412 from Level 6, possibly due to both levels involving immense to absolute darkness, though this remains unconfirmed, as well as any specific means to do so.
* Climbing through a crevasse in a cave ceiling in Level 8 may seamlessly lead to one of the fissures in Level 412, where one can then climb upwards and out of the fissure into the main level. Note that such a climb is usually an extremely difficult task and one should not spend too long on this task due to the dangers of both Level 412 and Level 8.
===》Exits===
* Noclipping through the floor may lead to either Level 8 or Level 192.
* Walking through a blue, glowing, shimmering, circular area on a pillar will noclip one into Level 37. Alternatively, noclipping into a pillar will lead to the level.
* Numerous wanderers have reported finding areas with no pillars, crevasses, or bridges, and that wandering into these areas has lead seamlessly to The Thin Barrier, with the entrance disappearing afterward. However, this remains unconfirmed.
----
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Author: Forknife
Image: Craiyon
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Category:Levels
Category:Unconfirmed Levels
Category:Cluster I
Category:Dangerous
Category:Class 5
Category:Darkness