Level Classification
| Difficulty | 3/5 | This level, due to the entities and hunger, is a notably difficult level. |
|---|---|---|
| Entity Count | 3/5 | Neighborhood of Darkness is populated by a large quantity of entities, especially near the slums. |
| Chaos Gradient | 2/5 | Due to acidic rain and the chaotic architecture, this is a chaotic level. |
| Basset-Frazier Index | 2.667/5 | This level is especially anomalous in comparison to other levels. |
Description
fig 1.0 Neighborhood of Darkness.
fig 2.0 Center of the Neighborhood of Darkness.
The Neighborhood of Darkness is a suburban neighborhood that is immensely large. It is solely comprised of residential structures that vary in size, typically one and two-story houses. There is no weather, nor is there a day-night cycle. The Neighborhood of Darkness is completely dark at midnight, with the only light source being rows of street lamps. Deathmoths will linger around the glowing amber light these street lamps emanate.
The level is typically quiet, the silence is only broken by the chirping of crickets and the occasional pitter-patter of carpet fluid dripping from above. Do not be confused, those aren't stars; the night sky is actually a vast metallic megastructure known as the Cogwell Matrix. The fluorescent lights laced between the tungsten carbide beams serve as stars in this artificial sky.
Black metallic pipes stretch across the Cogwell Matrix, these pipes contain carpet fluid and will occasionally burst open and rain down on the houses below. These houses have a plethora of anomalous properties which include: the interior layout being larger than the exterior structure, having grass yards inside instead of wooden floorboards, and chandeliers that defy gravity by hanging upwards from the floor.
Other architectural anomalies have been observed such as stairways leading to nowhere and entire houses floating across the sky. Typically, when one enters the Neighborhood of Darkness, they will enter near the center of the level. The quality of structures in the level gradually degrades as one ventures further from the center, meaning that the center consists of wealthy gated communities and the surrounding area is made up of low-quality slums. The latter having a noticeable increase in entity count in comparison to the center houses.
It should be noted the center of the Neighborhood of Darkness is devoid of food and, anomalously, you will get hungrier faster in this level than in other levels. The slums have a minuscule amount of food that can be found within cabinets inside houses but is still not enough for you to sustain yourself on. As a result, you will have to venture past the slums in search of a food source.
After passing the slums you will reach the industrial sector, an expanse of industrial structures that surrounds the slums. The industrial sector is made up of large factories that tower over the landscape.
These factories spew out a hazy gas that pollutes the air. The florescent lights of the Cogwell Matrix cannot be seen from the industrial sector, as they're veiled by an expanse of gray clouds. This section of the Neighborhood of Darkness will rain down carpet fluid more frequently than other areas of the Neighborhood of Darkness. Also, the carpet fluid that rains down in this sector is turned acidic by the sulfuric smoke.
The industrial sector is inhabited by a race of entities known as the "Elites". Once you enter their territory, they will offer you a position at their factories and will pay you in rations. These factories produce unsettling anomalous objects, the intention for the mass production of these strange objects is a mystery.
Beyond the industrial sector is an expanse of rocky terrain devoid of any residential structures or life; the terrain stretches for approximately 60,000 miles before ending at an enormous wall consisting entirely of houses. Attempting to traverse this barrier is considered pointless.
Communities
The Bavarian Elites
The Bavarian Elites are a group of shadow-like entities that inhabit the industrial sector which they call New Bavaria. They operate the factories and industrial structures that make up the sector. There is little information on their operations as only a handful of wanderers have documented their activities. It is assumed these factories have an ulterior motive that is only known to the Elites.
It is said that the Elites will take you in and give you rations if you decide to work in their factories. The working conditions are subpar but it is the only way you can sustain yourself there. After working at the factories for a week, they will start issuing you chemicals. They claim the chemicals will prevent depression and increase productivity. After taking these chemicals, you will notice an absence of emotion and an urge to work.
It has been observed that after a month, users of this chemical will begin to become almost machine-like, working without sleep until they eventually die of exhaustion. At this point, people at this stage are no longer considered flesh-and-blood humans but rather biological machines only existing to serve the Elites. At that point, people affected by these chemicals are considered instances of Proles.
Entrances and Exits
Entrances
The Neighborhood of Darkness can be entered through isolated doors held up only by their frame found in the Almond Fields. These doors will lead to the door of one of the houses in the gated communities that comprise the center of the Neighborhood of Darkness. You cannot exit back through these doors.
Exits
In the expanse of rocky terrain that separates the industrial sector and the wall, you may discover large metal frames of skyscrapers extruding from the earth. These frames will have a metal door that, when entered, will lead to The City.
More Levels: |
•Electrical Station - (+13) •Spaced-Out Ranges - (+14) •Monument in the Snowstorm - (+8) •The Apartments - (+22) •The School - (+17) •Your Home - (+14) •Paranoia Museum - (+27) |
|---|