Level 813

Level 813 is the 814th level of the Backrooms, and one that takes a drastically different form than most others.
==Description==
Level 813 is an expanse of frigid outdoors terrain taking on a handful of different forms depending on one’s location within its boundaries. Unlike most other levels, the size of Level 813 is actually surprisingly small - at least in terms of how much we can actually explore - with the distance to travel from one end of the level to the other estimated at just over 600 miles. Upon approaching the level’s borders, one will be met with an expanse of water stretching out incalculably far in all directions, with no sign of land beyond. All attempts to sail onto these waters result in the vehicle used invariably beginning to sink after sailing more than 20 miles out from the coastline.
While the different sections of the level can have greatly varying properties, one thing consistent across the level is the weather. Temperatures in Level 813 rarely rise above freezing, with permanently overcast skies routinely bringing down snowstorms often accompanied by lightning activity. The further inland one travels the more violent this weather gets, with the furthest reaches of the level’s terrain being just warm enough to allow crop growth while the centermost parts see hurricane-force winds and temperatures as low as -80°F.
Beyond this, the features of Level 813 are determined by what region of the level you find yourself in, which in turn are gauged by how far one is from the level’s center. These regions take the form of rings of terrain stretching around the level towards the coast, and there are three in total, each being roughly 200 miles in width at any given point. Each section is characterized by different terrain, native flora life, and a unique anomalous property not seen in the rest of the level.
===The Sullen Coast===
Lining the borders of the level, the Sullen Coast is the first of the three sections and often the one wanderers find themselves in upon arrival. Here, the weather is remarkably calm and relatively warm compared to the rest of the level, with temperatures averaging at roughly 40-50°F. Quiet storms of frigid rain form above this section regularly, which when combined with the warmer climate, means that this part of the level is quite viable for agricultural efforts. Long-term inhabitants in Level 813 - especially the natives - have taken to using the section to farm a potent crop called glapreseed, which thrives in the Sullen Coast’s climate and can be used to make a remarkable, highly-nutritious bread.
The peculiar property of this section is a strange relation between time and altitude. Essentially, the further up you travel, the faster time passes for you relative to the rest of the level, with moving further downward having an expected inverse effect. This effect seems to use the position of the sea level as a 1:1 basis with the flow of time, where anyone level with the ocean at Level 813’s edge experiences time parallel with the rest of the level, and the distance above/below sea level further accelerating/decelerating the passage of time relative to everyone else. For example, if one were to travel roughly 100 feet above sea level and remain there for a day, they will return to sea level to find the rest of the level has only progressed by a few hours. Conversely, if someone traveled over a hundred feet underground and waited a day before returning to sea level, they’d find that roughly a week has passed for the rest of the level.
The Coast itself is mostly characterized by stretches of rolling hills covered in tall grass and shrubs, most of which a dull gray-green hue. Towards the outer limits of the section, the plains give way to coasts of pale sand and jagged rock formations before giving way to the endless, bone-chilling waves beyond. The air throughout this section tastes faintly of salt, the midday skies are a pale light gray, and small crags and caverns dot the land and descend deep under the earth.
===The Fuar Covert===
One step inward from the Sullen Coast, the middle region of Level 813 is a stranger to the relatively warm weather of its neighboring section. Here temperatures almost never rise above freezing, lingering around 10-20°F on a good day and falling as far as -30°F should the weather take a turn. The skies above are swallowed by ever-churning storm clouds, which regularly send down biting blizzards lasting hours or days on end.
Despite the unwelcoming climate, the Covert is home to hundreds of unfrozen ponds and rivers filled with potable water and surrounded by shrubs and bushes yielding berries. These same bodies of water are the source of a peculiar substance known as blackfire powder, a material strikingly similar to gunpowder that gathers in waterbeds and can burn even when soaking wet. When the powder is ignited, it emits a strange black flame that gives off pale blue light, but otherwise works similarly to normal gunpowder.
This region’s unique property won’t become aware to you unless you find yourself isolated for some time. Should one remain alone in the Fuar Covert for a full day and night, the region itself will begin to manifest visions of the individual’s past and future. These come in the form of significant objects, structures, and sometimes even people, all of which are given full physical form and can be fully interacted with for the duration of their presence. Typically, however, these visions are fleeting in nature and never last more than a couple hours at most, dissipating like wisps of smoke when their time is up and vanishing without a trace.
Those who enter the Fuar Covert will find themselves in a region dominated by old and sturdy pine trees reaching almost hundreds of feet into the air, appearing like a blanket of snow-laden greenery covering the terrain when viewed from afar. Hills are far steeper here, rivers bend and wind throughout valleys choked with foliage, and peculiar stone monoliths rise dozens of feet from the soil in places, covered in bizarre and ancient carvings with meanings unknown.
===The Eterfol Mountains===
Last and most inhospitable of the three regions, the innermost section of Level 813 is characterized by winding perilous paths choked by ice and frost and rising thousands of feet into the sky. The light of day can barely pierce the endless maelstrom of weather above this region, with howling winds strong enough to knock one to their feet, lightning-charged blizzards and hailstorms that seem to tear the warmth from one’s bones, and subzero temperatures that can sink as low as a horrific -70°F. Yet even with these nigh-uninhabitable conditions, some brave souls still venture here. The few foolhardy explorers and natives that choose to enter these mountains mostly devote their efforts to mining expeditions, delving into the rock here to turn up surprisingly bountiful reserves of iron and silver and hauling it back along the dangerous routes of Eterfol to be refined and shaped in warmer, safer lands.
The focal point of this region’s property is made apparent as soon as one looks down. As the peaks of Eterfol climb higher and higher the further in one travels, eventually they’ll begin to notice a cloud of thick fog billowing through the lower reaches of the region after making it several miles in. This dense fog practically glows a swirling hue of white, refuses to lift from the reaches far below, and renders the entirety of lower Eterfol imperceivable to the human eye.
Should one lose their footing or get carried into the air by blasting winds while traversing this section, and they’re unlucky enough to fall into the fog below, they’ll suddenly find themselves reemerging from the storming clouds in the sky above and plummeting back into the mist all over again. This typically continues until either the wind guides the falling individual back towards solid ground where they usually disintegrate into a red mist on impact, or the climbing force of their descent manages to push past the limits of terminal velocity and they accelerate to speeds fast enough to start breaking their bodies apart into dust and vapor.
The Eterfol Mountains are known by those who’ve dared to explore them as a maze of summits and cliffsides splattered black and white by the stone and snow. The air here tastes suspiciously of rust, the ground and cold prevent even twigs and moss from growing, and apart from the few bold enough to lay claim here and dig up the earth for ores, almost no life whatsoever can be found here. The only signs that something else resides here are found nestled at the center of Level 813: a single lone tower of frost-ridden stone coated in fossilized vines, rising hundreds of feet from the fog below the mountains. While the tower is completely unreachable by any and all known means, reports abound of seeing light flickering from the windows at night, and the silhouette of some living thing moving about inside.
==Entities==
While the ever-present cold in Level 813 would logically be quite discouraging for life to develop in most cases, several entities can be found here nonetheless, most of which with rather interesting mutations to allow for them to thrive in the level’s frigid climate.
Most of the entity population is predictably found in the Sullen Coast region, where wanderers can expect to see roaming packs of Death Rats adapted to be significantly larger than usual - typically almost 1 ½ feet tall on all fours - and subsisting mostly on a diet of nuts, grains, and roots. Also found here are flocks of red Swindlebirds that nest in enclosed spaces like caves to avoid predatory Deathmoths, the latter of which having significantly larger wings than usual, pale gray-blue fur, and seeming somewhat less aggressive towards humanoids than normal. These Deathmoths mostly scavenge off of dead remains if they can’t find any Swindlebirds to hunt, and take whatever food they gather to their nests further inland in the second region.
In the Feur Covert, entities start to become noticeably scarcer as the frost gains more of a foothold on the level. Here Deathmoths can still be found resting in nests built deep inside the branches of pine trees, erupting from the canopy just after dawn every morning to fly towards the coastline in search of food. Also found here is a strange offshoot of Hounds, presumably cut off from their home in The Hive and instead left to fend for themselves in the Covert. These Hounds are mostly covered in thick ashy hair (apart from the face, belly, palms, and the bottoms of their feet), they typically live in small packs of 3-5 members, nest in caves or beneath rock outcroppings, and - while their diet remains a mystery - are still as aggressive as ever to wanderers and natives alike.
These Hounds sometimes find themselves hunted instead, however, by solitary Arctotheriums. These hulking ursine entities are believed to be the apex predator of the level, living on an omnivorous diet of Hound meat, berries, and even Glapreseed should they venture into the Sullen Coast looking for food. Most Arctotheriums in Level 813 are not wild, however, with the majority of the population having been domesticated by native communities for use as pack animals and mounts.
While the Eterfol Mountains are by all reports devoid of natural fauna, concerning rumors still abound of several dangerous and disquieting creatures hiding in the frozen peaks. Stories of wanderers passing motionless Facelings along the icy winding paths, seeing the grasping appendages of Clumps pulling themselves up mountainsides in the distance, hearing the ear-splitting cries of Wretches during blinding blizzards, and even catching glimpses of Smilers peering down upon them from the jagged cliffs above. While there is no confirmation of these stories as of yet, one would still probably do well to be mindful of the unnerving chance they might just be true.
Lastly, found throughout the entire level is the native population of Penumbras, humanoid and intelligent entities very similar in nature to humans. These native peoples can be found scattered about all three regions of Level 813 in towns and encampments, making use of each region to collect supplies and resources, hunt and farm food, and even tame and train other entities to serve uses in day-to-day life. Their settlements in the level are numerous and widespread, the technologies of their most advanced civilizations are on-par with the late medieval period on Earth, and their population is estimated to be somewhere roughly above 1 million.
==Bases, Communities, and Outposts==
While the climate of Level 813 is certainly dissuading to some, the level is still ample with food and resources needed to allow life to flourish in its confines. As a result, dozens if not hundreds of communities can be found scattered across the terrain in all shapes and sizes, hosting a population of humans and Penumbras alike unheard of in the rest of the Backrooms, potentially as high as 3 million in total. A keen eye can even uncover the ruins and remains of past settlements long abandoned as well, giving those archaeologically-inclined a playground of mysteries to uncover. While there are absolutely more settlements in the level than those listed here, below you will find a handful of the more notable ones.
===M.E.G. - Base Omicron===
* Large M.E.G. outpost in the Sullen Coast, mostly concerned with agricultural efforts.
* Roughly 2,200 permanent residents reside here, with the base also hosting hundreds of temporary personnel and guests from elsewhere in the level.
* Most of the outpost consists of a fortified main town surrounded by a perimeter of barns and farmland, where M.E.G. personnel grow glapreseed to be transported in bulk back out of Level 813 and to other bases throughout the Backrooms.
* Is open to trade and routinely offers glapreseed and other crops in exchange for lumber and metal.
* Has repeatedly come under attack by Penumbra natives reportedly led by a human in a colonial-era soldier’s uniform and wielding a flintlock rifle.
===Dún Emne===
* Massive fortified settlement along the transition zone between the Sullen Coast and the Fuar Covert.
* Home to over 70,000+ humans and Penumbras, easily making it the largest settlement in the entire level and potentially one of the largest in the Backrooms.
* Maintains a network of small outposts across the level, each manned by roughly a few dozen people and serving the purpose of harvesting resources from each of the three regions.
* Open to trade with all groups, maintaining a bank and even minting their own currency which can be found across the level and used by other settlements.
* Mans their own postal service using domesticated Deathmoths as carrier birds for delivering mail.
===Sephredell Enclave===
* Penumbra settlement found deep within the Fuar Covert.
* Believed to have a population of roughly 9,800, counting humans.
* Settlement is most widely known for being incredibly and bizarrely aggressive towards humans when compared with other native settlements in the level, going as far as to keep captured humans as prisoners.
* Reported to live out of a sprawling refurbished ruin of some unknown previous settlement.
* It is advised that wanderers stay clear of members of this settlement at all costs.
===Belber-Droh===
* Penumbra settlement situated along the banks of a river in the Fuar Covert.
* Home to a population of roughly 25,000 native Penumbras, residing in a walled town dotted with imposing watchtowers and surrounded by a maze of outlying fortifications.
* The inhabitants of this village hold a strong resentment towards the M.E.G., taking any opportunity they can to antagonize them and even rob traveling M.E.G. operatives in the wilderness.
* Known by many in the Gelid Isle for their staggering adeptness and creativity in warfare, employing siege vehicles and armor made from an incredibly-durable metal unique to Level 813 known as Castalt.
* Reliant on trade and raiding for a good portion of their resources, but are a major exporter of lumber.
===Castle Crey===
* Penumbra settlement operating out of a massive abandoned castle found in the Eterfol Mountains.
* Believed to be a rather small settlement, only having just over 400 members.
* Spend most of their days living in near isolation, rarely interacting with outsiders except to trade mined ores in the surrounding mountains for basic amenities like food and firewood.
* Next to nothing in terms of further info is known of this settlement, given their remote location and timidness towards outsiders.
==Entrances and Exits==
===Entrances===
Most entrances to Level 813 always take more or less the same form. Wanderers will start to notice they’re near one when the air around them starts to feel unusually chilly. Investigating the surrounding area will eventually turn up a door set into a nearby wall, fashioned from rotting planks laced with frost and decorated with a crude iron emblem of a pair of antlers above a broken sword. Upon stepping through these doors, one will then find themselves standing on the shores of Level 813, the way they entered nowhere in sight. These doors can often be found in the following locations:
* Amidst the ruins of an unidentified town in Level 8.
* In a dusty alleyway somewhere in Level 11.
* Among the arcade cabinets of Level 25.
* Along the endless flight of stairs that is Level 54.
While quite rare, some wanderers have reported that they first arrived in Level 813 upon entering the Backrooms as a whole. Some historical evidence exists to back up this claim, suggesting that at one point or another it wasn’t uncommon by any means to begin in this level after one’s initial no-clipping. Nowadays however, those whose first impression of the Backrooms is this level are few and far between.
===Exits===
Exiting Level 813 poses a good deal more difficulty than entering it. In this case, the common means for leaving the level seems to come in the form of a number of ancient marble archways scattered across the level’s entirety, the air around them noticeably warmer than usual for their location and the ground beneath them shimmering with a faint orange light. Finding these archways can be difficult however, as their commonality seems to be tied to how far inland one goes to look for them, not to mention how some gates are believed to exist in flux and shift position in the level from time to time. Only two known stable gateways have their locations recorded, but several others exist which could lead to who knows where in the Backrooms.
* One gate can be found on the edge of the shore close to M.E.G. Base Omicron, which leads to Level 11.
* One is known to exist somewhere in close vicinity to the Sephredell Enclave, but given the difficulty and potential danger of trying to reach it, its output location is unknown.
Additionally, found all across the Isle are ancient stone corridors, tucked away in rock formations or hidden deep underground. Navigating these corridors and following their twisting and complex lengths will eventually lead one down past the underground of the Gelid Isle and out into the depths of Level 813.1.
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Category:Cluster I
Category:Levels
Category:Frigid
Category:Mythic Levels
Category:The Gelid Isle