Starlit Cinema
Level Classification
| Difficulty | 0/5 | Desolate and greatly lacking in supplies. The only needed resources such as foodstuffs are only found within very specific locations. The difficulty remains trivial due to these rare supplies usually being available upon entering the level. |
|---|---|---|
| Entity Count | 0/5 | N/A |
| Chaos Gradient | 5/5 | Highly non-Euclidean geometry, and unavoidable effects placed upon all who pass through. |
| Basset-Frazier Index | 1.667/5 | The level is very livable due to its apparent lack of hazards, but extensive settlement is held back by the major issue of transport. |
Description
fig 1.0 Starlit Cinema.
Starlit Cinema is a non-Euclidean cinema reminiscent of a mid-20th century American architecture. The cinema features numerous entrances and a layout in which the outside and inside of the level intersect in strange ways. Starlit Cinema's two intertwined environments, an interior and an exterior, act somewhat similarly like the relationship between the hotel and the boiler room seen in The Hotel. These two spaces are a seemingly endless expanse of cracked and battered concrete, and the interior of the cinema with its many halls and individual theatres.
Staying within the level for an extended period of time removes the ability to leave over a period of time, as exits to other levels will simply not be accessible to those who have stayed within the level for a number of baseline days.
| Elapsed Time | Effect |
|---|---|
| ~24 hours | A strange, mild fatigue that persists for a variable amount of time. |
| ~56 hours | When travelling alone, doors to other levels, both forward and backward, will appear less frequently as if some are being removed as the affected wanderer travels. |
| ~78 hours | Those within the level will no longer be able to find exits on their own. Exits that exist such as doors will be replaced by blank walls. The level may still be escaped, via a fellow person who remains a newcomer to the space. |
| ~120 hours | The presence of a person this deep alone will actively prevent others' escape, as long as they are still alive. All close-by exits will have been replaced by walls, within a relatively large radius on top of their distance of perception. |
Upon entry from any other space, wanderers will find themselves within one of the most important key points of the level: one of the many theatre entrance chambers. Leaving the cinema through the main doors will lead to what most refer to as "The Flatland," said expanse being the damaged concrete plane mentioned previously.
Within the entrance chambers themselves usually lies an empty ticket booth with markers meant to organize lines of people, as well as a large counter with foodstuffs such as popcorn lying behind. This is the only source of food found within the level, and unfortunately, it replenishes at a snail's pace. Water fountains and other potable liquids can also only be found within the lobby.
Extending outward from the entrances into the depths of the theatre-rooms are usually three grand hallways that branch off arterially into smaller and smaller hallways. The halls get much thinner and shorter, but not to a degree that would prohibit access. The hallways throughout the cinema use different designs periodically, such as the carpet below changing hue and/or patterns along with the walls. Most commonly found throughout the interior of the level are patterns and decorations featuring stars. Additionally, functional bathrooms are also spaced throughout the halls, more commonly found lining the thinner halls or at any dead ends within the space.
Strewn occasionally along the walls are miscellaneous decorations along with torn blank posters. The only decorations present that feature lettering are signs or posters advertising the cinema itself. Common exclamatory phrases include "Come and see the pictures," and "Film quality on the rise since a long time ago!"
Each theatre is marked with a number from 1-24, said numbers meaning nothing. These theatres are usually marked out of order, and there are obviously many more than 24. Along with the number, some text is occasionally displayed where the name of the movie being played would be. This text is unpredictable and does not reflect or even hint at what is playing inside.
Inside every theatre room is the exact same layout, featuring ascending rows of chairs with stairs on each side, of varying levels of repair. More often than not, the screens have nothing projected onto them. When they are active, It is usually pure static, a blank color screen, low-quality pre-movie advertisements, or very choppy recordings of various scenes, all of which lack people. It is speculated that these choppy recordings and advertisements are placeholders for what would've been actual movies. The recordings projected onto the screen nor the audio can be manipulated.
"Wandering this place is safe in small intervals unlike many other places I can name, but god is it sometimes dreadful. Whilst making my way through, I constantly see figures in the distance. Knowing they are but other people trapped within, I divert away. If they had seen me, they'd follow me, which would trap me in due time as well. And believe me, the only countermeasure to stop others from ruining your chances at escape is not a pretty one. It is truly saddening to see people who have truly given up, lounging in the theatres, waiting for death to stop by. By now, the lot of us must have already learned not to be sympathetic towards the damned. You either leave them behind, or join their ranks."
- A member of the Coalition of Extrava, who asked to remain anonymous.
The Flatland
Outside the cinema lies a boundless field of cracked and battered concrete. The only details to the concrete worthy of note are the completely ruined parts which reveal a layer of gravel below, and the presence of very faded white lines which resemble parking space perimeters and dashed/solid road lines. The dusty rock below the concrete, when disturbed, can cause breathing issues.
The concrete plane, lacking interior lights unlike the cinema, is solely lit by the "stars" of the Cogwell Matrix above. This cogwell matrix is not very useful for travel, as the concrete plain below is very easy to traverse most of the time. That, and the matrix is very hard to access being so high above the plain. Additionally, another instance of the level element lies above the open tops of theatre rooms, and above the halls of the cinema in general. Despite the many connections between the concrete plain and the cinema, their two respective cogwell matrices do not connect.
Communities
Extrava Base "Recordkeep"
The Coalition of Extrava is a radical group that aims to "tear The Backrooms down and build a place where humanity can prosper." Their current missions include hunting down and dispatching entities, as well as finding "weaknesses" in levels. They are constantly thinking up new potential ways to make levels safer and remove hazards. While this level's effects do not seem to be avoidable, it lacks hazards otherwise and remains a pitstop for trade and travelers passing through. The few members of the group that stay behind in this base constantly rotate in and out to avoid being stuck within the level.
Assorted Communities
It is very often that those who are already doomed to the confines of the level refuse to go down without a fight. It is highly suggested to avoid other persons in this level entirely due to these aggressors.
Access
Entrances:
Upon entrance from Your Home, wanderers will find themselves within one of the many cinema lobbies/entranceways.
Exits:
Isolated stairways covered by small concrete structures or rubble will lead down into Sublimity or. Taking emergency exit doors located within theatre rooms will also take you to Sublimity. Lastly, walking around the "exterior walls" of one of the many entrances to the interior of the level will occasionally lead to a locked metal backdoor that will need to be pried open or broken down. This door will lead to The Ruined City.