Level 9
rating: +11+x

Level Classification

Difficulty 4/5 Flooding, neutral entities.
Entity Count 2/5 Occasional colonies of neutral entities.
Chaos Gradient 4/5 Constant flooding and entrance changes.
Basset-Frazier Index 3.334/5 This Level is impossible to live in due to the entities and flooding.

Description

cramped

fig 1.0 Partially flooded floor in Level 8.

Level 9 is an infinitely deep cave system, presumably spanning over an infinite area as well, that is gradually flooding with water. Water pours through the entrances from Level 8 at a steady rate, raising the water level in the caves until it surpasses the height of the exit, at which point the exit will shift to a point further up in the cave system. The caves are extremely narrow, averaging three feet (1 meter) in width and one and a half feet (1/2 meters) in height, although they frequently narrow to become much tighter, sometimes even becoming impassible. The majority of the caves are limestone, although some sections are made of other rocks, including a few that are partially or entirely composed of quartz crystals. Vertical ascents are the best type of cave to find in Level 9 because they allow you to gain elevation quickly, which is made critical by the rising water levels.

Other crystalline formations have been observed such as crystallized almond water and carpet fluid. Extraction of these formations is considered dangerous due to the chaotic state of this level. Firesalt crystals have also been documented but these are relatively rare.

Some cave passages are inhabited by a species of spider unique to Level 9. These spiders are small, only growing to be half an inch across at their largest, but weave very strong and dense webs despite their small size, which can present a significant risk of entanglement. The spiders that have reached maturity are considered harmless, but the babies are incredibly venomous and will swarm if their egg sac is disturbed. Their toxin is not lethal in small doses, only causing pain and disorientation, but will become so after approximately 30 bites. Due to a large number of baby spiders in each egg sac, many bites can be accumulated rather quickly. For this reason, it is recommended that you do your best to avoid the egg sacs at all costs, even if it means heading back the way you came and risking drowning.

Rarely, there will be some passages that are not caves but rather stone corridors. These corridors, despite appearing to be much easier to navigate through than the cramped caves, should under no circumstances be utilized for navigation throughout Level 9. There are reports of a number of people who have entered these corridors, but none have ever exited.

These corridors are non-linear and anomalously alter in structure according to documentation. Backtracking is considered difficult due to these supernatural properties.


Communities

Due to the difficulty and nature of this level, permanent civilizations are unfeasible and impossible to sustain for lengthy periods of time.


Entrances and Exits

Entrances

Level 9 can be entered through holes in the walls of some of the buildings in Level 8, and from its sublevels.

Exits

By digging up through patches of earth found in the ceilings of some of the caves you will enter Level 10. Other exits include Level 9's sublevels.

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