The Backrooms

Level 878 is an unbounded expanse of prairies and rivers, akin to the Lowlands scenery of the British Isles from the Frontrooms.

A certain bog in the level.

On the surface, grasslands and flower fields dominate the geography, flourishing atop a fine, fertile layer of sediments, while forests tend to cluster in parallel to the riverine or around the valleys, wetlands, and bogs such rivers have created. The flora is lush and diverse, from species more baseline — meadow-grass, heather, oak, and birch — to some thoroughly exotic like the Kroovmor, towering tree-forms that produces large, oblong fruits entirely suitable for human consumption. In fact, a majority of the level's vegetation provides safe, ample food sources and natural water sources are potable as well.

The level's primary environmental characteristic comes from the frequent wind, averaging around 50-60 km/h for regular wind and 75-110 km/h for gusts at ground elevation. Wind gradients become much stronger up above, with a peak measurement at an elevation of 5 km reaching 612 km/h¹. Temperature here stabilizes around 15°C, and humidity is moderate, fluctuating between 60 - 70% saturation. but despite the existence of cloud formations on the level, precipitation never occurs. As a result, the sky of 878 always appears pure with a bright cerulean, in perpetual daylight.

The sky of 878. The entity can be seen in this photo. Attempts are being made to take a close-up shot of it.

Only one entity has ever been observed inside Level 878: a large, winged lifeform with a scaly, sable-brown body and a stout, rugged tail, bearing much resemblance to the mythical creature dragon of many Frontroom cultures. It spends most of the time soaring high in the sky, where the wind proves most extreme, or out of sight, and will only descend down to scavenge for food — mainly the fruits of the Kroovmor tree — or to come back to its den, a hollowed dirt mound set amidst an empty field. Somewhat incongruent to the surrounding area, this mound is coated with a verdant layer of grasses and flowers novel even to the level's ecosystem; although the space within appears quite constricted compared to the Entity's size, it seems unwilling to leave for another retreat, and will always return to the mound for rest. If any creature were to approach this mound, or the entity, it will attempt to drive them away with wind bursts from its wings. Nonetheless, there have been instances in which this entity has displayed altruism toward Wanderers. (see Appendix 878-1). It does not exhibit any inclination toward animated life otherwise.

Entry into Level 878 may happen by no-clip from the fields of Level 184 or 469. To exit, the most surefire way is to immerse oneself into a water stream with the will to depart, and emerge upon the oases of Level 303, but noclipping back into Level 469 or into Level 48 is also possible. Approximately 1.5 km from the aforementioned mound, a small outpost has been established for the studying and documentation of the entity. Whether other settlements exist throughout the level or not is unclear.

Appendix 878-1: On the 17th of October, 2025, Michael Saunders-Brown (8) entered Level 878 from Level 469. At the time, the level's surface was experiencing a strong bout of wind shear, which greatly disoriented him. It was the entity that descended down from the sky and sheltered him with its body until the storm subsided. Then, it proceeded to hover above Michael's position for a period of time; it was because of this that M.E.G. personnels from the outpost, tasked with observing the entity, were able to locate the boy. It swiftly ascended when these personnels approached near.

It should be noted that Michael was holding a bunch of poppies when he returned. He said that these poppies were growing on the entity's chin, and he had apparently asked the entity to pluck them "for his newborn sister". Apparently, the entity obliged.

A poppy field of 878.

Appendix 878-2: It is speculated that Level 878 had undergone a seismic geological transfiguration in the past. Beneath the sediment crust lies a thick, barren sand-rock mantle, with almost no biological features present. Such vestiges of organic life discovered were all microscopic in nature, relying on chemosynthesis for survival, which heavily implies harsh conditions and an absence of light on the old level. Notably, this shifting event is likely to have happened abruptly, as no signs of a transitional phase could be discerned between the two earth layers. The reason why this event had transpired remains unknown.