Erysichthon

This article is under rewrite by the author. When an article is under rewrite, this likely means that the quality is no longer up to the author's standards, but the ideas within the article are important to other articles or the shared universe of the Liminal Archives at large.

TURNER ASSOCIATION LIMINAL SPACE SYSTEM FILE:

"ERYSICHTHON"

Image of the sky of Erysichthon taken by Association Client Lily Guo after around 178 hours of constant exposure. Note the lack of movement of "stars" in the shot as well as file compression and artifacts due to the inconsistent method of extracting files from the space.

OVERVIEW

Erysichthon¹ is a malformed system; an infinite space with ground formed from a fleshy pulsating substance constantly secreting a bitter, slightly acidic fluid. Dotted sparsely around the infinite planes of meat beneath its dim, crimson sky are various liminal spaces that it has absorbed. The altitude within becomes lower as you head towards its center.

The system is constantly expanding, absorbing, and integrating liminal spaces all throughout existence into its flesh; the cause of this is unknown. Spaces absorbed slowly travel inwards, disappearing towards the center, breaking down more and more the closer they travel.

Because spaces Erysichthon "consumes" maintain most of their properties somewhat, it has been classified as a system despite technically being one unbroken space.

Integration of limspaces occurs in a series of 3 distinct phases:

Phase 1: Occurs prior to integration. The space undergoes a noticeable uptick in instability; flecks and swirling clouds of light begin to appear within.
Phase 2: The space connects to Erysichthon and aspects of said space that may have prevented an individual from simply walking out (walls, infinite space, etc.) begin to break down, now leading to the inside of Erysichthon. At this point, the space is considered part of the system - classification of the space will then be moved to this page's supplemental materials.
Phase 3: The space fuses into Erysichthon's flesh. In this stage, the space begins to be moved towards the center, growing more and more unstable as it approaches it. After a space reaches phase 3 it is only a matter of time for it to break down fully until it eventually disappears forever.

SURVIVAL INFORMATION

It is recommended that all liminal explorers read this file and be able to recognize the signs of "consumption" by Erysichthon - failure to do so may cause entrapment within its infinite landscape. The best way to survive is to be educated on how to avoid it. The most telltale signs of "consumption" are easy to spot. If a space has glowing flecks, swirls, and clouds of light floating within it, appears to be breaking down, or is becoming more chaotic, exit immediately and contact the Turner Association's human resources line at 1-981-029-1977² or inform your local Association branch.

You cannot leave Erysichthon once you enter but communication to the outside world is possible through radio and other forms of wireless communication. File transfer has been achieved through computer terminals but is inconsistent at best. Terminal effectiveness appears greatly hampered.

Survival is possible by scavenging the remains of the spaces "consumed" by Erysichthon. However, due to the sporadic and unpredictable nature of "consumption", to even have a chance at survival requires heavy planning and preparation. Sadly, the vast majority of individuals who enter do so without knowing the fresh hell they are walking into, leading to their likely demise.

ENTRANCES

Due to the nature of Erysichthon, entrances to the space change over time and are too numerous to count. Below is a list of notable entrances. For safety, exact entrance locations are not listed.

Space	Entrance Location	Short Description	CL³
"The Clocktower"	Wales, United Kingdom	A large structure filled with gears and other assorted mechanisms that have long since ceased motion. Despite this, a large clock face, bent out of shape by the "consumption" process, ticks erratically at the center of the structure. The walls of the Clocktower have long since degraded, making it easy to access the space outside. Small flecks and clusters of light slowly move about in the space, swirling around a central point.	2
"Minnesota State Park"	Minnesota, United States	A flat expanse of forest spotted with rivers that seem to start and stop completely randomly. Numerous park ranger posts dot the expanse, their location changes randomly and their construction is obtuse and nonsensical. They're manned with "rangers", humanoid entities wearing park ranger outfits. Once, they were highly aggressive towards humans, but now they simply stand, not moving or caring. Tiny balls of light dart around like fireflies, seemingly orbiting around a single point. The fruits that grow on the pines are edible.	1
Sections of the "Ageless Wood"	N/A	Dotted around Erysichthon are forests similar to descriptions of the "Ageless Wood". "Consumption" has apparently taken parts of other universes with it, accessible through entering the section and getting lost. The forest's effects have not decreased in severity but instead, increased with "consumption" - its inhabitants are permanently stuck within, doomed to be lost for all of eternity. Depending on which section is observed, observers can watch an individual be affected by an event that hasn't happened yet, kill themselves in the past and survive, exist in all spaces in the section of the forest all at once, and not exist at all within the span of a few minutes. Existing sections are constantly increasing in size and new sections consistently occur at random intervals - effects in the Ageless woods have not yet been reported.	1-10
"The Nursery"	Santa Cruz, Argentina	A large, rotting complex similar to that of an Argentinean orphanage. Friendly pictures of flowers and bees line the rotting walls which peel and blister under the sunless sky. Water can be scavenged from the faucets, and food can occasionally be found in the pantries. The construction of the complex appears to not make any spatial sense, oftentimes with two or more locations occupying the apparent same space. Clouds of glowing dust and particles of light phase through the walls as they rush around the space. Entry into Erysichthon can be achieved through one of the many holes in the walls.	6
A Barn	Unknown	A red wooden barn, built in a style common to that of the Southern United States. It appears to be solidly built into Erysichthon, its foundation laid deeply into the flesh. No extranormal properties have been observed. This has raised much concern.	1

For a more comprehensive list of more spaces "consumed" by Erysichton contact baseline Archivist and Turner Association client Rolf Kingston at at.tneilc|1002notsgnikr#at.tneilc|1002notsgnikr.

VENTURES

Venture 1: "Forbiddance"

Type: NON-PROFIT

Costs: HIGH

Priority: HIGH

Venture Description: Entry to Erysichthon is currently blocked. The Turner Association is to cooperate with contributors to the Liminal Archives in the documentation of limspaces consumed by Erysichthon and the closing off of entrances to said limspaces.

On 4/2/2016, Turner Association Client Lily Grace Guo decided that she would dedicate her life to aiding the collective in preventing further tragedy - as of now, she is still within Erysichthon, quietly mapping out its stomach and informing the Association of spaces that have fallen victim to its gluttony. Positive connections with Guo are to be maintained; communication with her is to be done daily. Supplies are to be regularly given to Guo through the ███████ ██████ Liminal Space.

Costs incurred by this procedure are necessary in preserving public relations with the liminal-aware populace. A copy of this file and an associated file documenting various entrances to Erysichthon are to be donated to the Liminal Archives - the former with partial redactions, and the latter given only with confirmation of full restriction.

⚠️

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS RESTRICTED.

PLEASE ENTER CREDENTIALS

Transmissions received 2/5/2016

-esting, testing. Alright. Seems to be in order….
Rustling can be heard in the background.
Alright, and there.
Guo clears his throat.
Alright, so, I hope you can hear me, because I'm sure as hell not lugging that shit over here again. I can't confirm if this is even working - radio signals have been shown to only be able to be sent out by previous testing, but everything…
A pause.
Yeah, everything seems to be in check. Alright… so…
Guo coughs.
I've walked through this crack in the wall in the Nursery, currently just standing inside of the walls of this place, so I'm pretty sure space doesn't work like baseline. If it did I'd be standing on the other side of this drywall….this space goes on forever⁴ so this might be a new way out we haven't discovered yet.
A pause.
Well, guess I'm heading in deeper, wish me luck.

…huh. So, uh, I've arrived in some… space… seems to stretch on forever but honestly that's not even that uncommon at this point. The ground is made of a kind of-
A wet squelch is audible.
-wet, squishy substance. It's also warm, just a little above my body temperature. Sky is real dim, seems there's some light coming off of it but definitely not enough to see… there's what seems to be…flecks of light and glowing gas just, breaking off from the Nursery? Not sure how to describe it, it seems that they just like, emanate from it before dissipating after a second or two. My hands just seem to phase through them, not sure what's up with that, but uh… yeah. Doesn't provide much light though, I'm turning my flashlight on. There's something in the distance, gonna check it out.

Alright, it's been… a few… minutes now. Just arrived. There's this art gallery just, in the middle of this space. These paintings are pretty fucking high profile as well, I think that's… yep, that's the Mona Lisa. Can't tell if it's fake but it looks pretty real to me. A bunch of other famous paintings are here, I can recognize like, 75% of them, but the other 25% are just scribbles. It has the same weird clouds and points of light that the Nursery had, but there doesn't seem to be anything hazardous… probably am going to take a break and eat something. I'll see you in a bit.

-old on a fucking second, isn't this that one space that… holy shit. This has to be it. I read about it on the archives - didn't it used to have this property where if you touched a painting you'd… give me a second, lunch can wait for now, I have to confirm.

Guo lets out a few wheezing coughs.
Shit. Fell into a Picasso, almost fucking died. Human bodies are not supposed to be shaped tha-
Cough.
-that way. Fuck. But this confirms it, this is probably the same space that disappeared…are the Nursery and this thing connected somehow? I'm going to try leaving to baseline through the exit of this space after lunch… think it was just a photograph of baseline or something.

Lily, you complain about rations but really, they aren't that bad! Ham and cheese, freeze-dried, or some other kind of procedure.
A pause.
Anyways. While I was eating I walked around a bit and found it. It wasn't hard to find, it's in the center and framed in gold and everything. Very pretty picture, some kind of park I think. Seems to be moving slightly as I watch it. Alright, here goes nothing.

Alright, okay, okay… fuck…
Guo retches, then vomiting is heard in the background.
I-
A retch can be heard.
I think I need to lie down for a moment. I, uh-
A thud can be heard.
-holy shit. I'll try to describe-
Retch.
-fuck. It hurts, it fucking hurts. It's like a knife tore through every nerve in my body. I p-probably look-
Guo coughs.
-really pathetic right now.
Guo lets out a forced laugh. A few minutes pass.
I think it's better…now. Yeah, the pain's a lot better now. I'll… try to describe what happened. Just let me find the words first.
A pause.
Alright. So I'll go in order. I touched the picture, right? And for, like, two seconds, everything seemed fine, I was being picked up and transposed slowly and being smushed onto the painting, just like how the other one worked. And it was going fine, up until I got around half of my body through the picture, and it just - I don't know how to describe it. It was like… being ripped apart. It felt like the natural order of things, which was to be sent back to baseline, was being disrupted. Baseline wanted me to come back but something didn't want me to.
A pause.
The best thing I could equate the feeling to is being stabbed. It was like every cell of my body was being ripped to shreds, but it was… different. It was painful on a more, fuck, I don't know. A more primal level. Like it wasn't just pain, it was also fear. Like a cornered animal. And then I was ripped out again. Strangely, I appear physically fine.
A pause.
So I guess I'm not coming back. I'm going to assume that the same is going to happen with the Nursery - still going to try, but I think I've got a pretty good feel for limspaces… still, could happen.

Tried leaving the Nursery. Same thing, wasn't as terrible, did I get used to it? Anyways, I'm fucking stuck.
Guo sighs. A pause. He can be heard, breathing in deeply.
Shit.

Alright, I'm back. Sorry about the delay, just had to come to terms with my newly minted prisoner-ship.
A pause.
Well, Lily, if you get this, just know that I love you.
A pause.
Maybe not all hope is gone, though… there's some other things that I can barely see in the distance. I'm going to take another trek over.

So there's this lake, just in the middle of nowhere. The lights are all over the place but seem to dissipate at the end of the waters - The water has seemingly mingled with this fluid that's present on the floor, and in the middle, there's this giant fucking, uh, windmill. I think it's a windmill, at least. I'm going to try climbing up it, maybe there's an exit there.

No cigar. Fuck.
A pause.
Lily, I'm so sorry.

Transmissions received 2/6/2016

Just… woke up, a few minutes ago. Made a quick breakfast… still… pretty good, but if I'm going to be stuck here it's probably going to get old pretty soon.
Rustling.
I checked my supplies, with what I have I can probably survive purely off of rations for around a week. Water is also pretty much covered for a week.
A pause.
Last night- well, there isn't really a night but I think I get the point across -I thought to myself about whether or not I should even continue this broadcast, but I've decided that if I'm trapped it'd be best to document as much as possible, at the very least. Maybe even find a way out.
A pause.
Going to wander around for a bit. Haven't been in any real danger yet.

Alright, just figured something out. I was shining my flashlight downwards when I noticed that the fluid isn't still, it's actually moving. Very slowly, but moving. So this probably means it's on an incline. The entire space is on an incline, I mean. I'm going to follow it for now, see where the low point is.

I've been walking for a few hours now, Came across a space resembling some kind of department store - not anything that I recognize, the text is in… Polish? I think? Full of the lights. Couldn't find an "exit" point, no walls to the space, just seems to kind of, meld into the meat around it. I'm calling it meat, by the way.
A pause.
I got to scavenge a few bottles of water from the shelves, so I'll take that as a win.

Another space passed, after an hour or so of walking. This one was fucking strange. I think it was supposed to be, like, some kind of mansion, but it was just incredibly unstable. All of its parts appeared to just kind of constantly shift and randomly move - at points it barely resembled a structure at all, just a series of jumbled shapes and stone.
A pause.
It's almost like the more downstream I go, the more chaotic the spaces become. Not sure if that's relevant.

Passed a few more spaces, same deal. They keep getting worse and worse. One that I approached just phased in and out of existence - some kind of playhouse? I don't know.
A pause.
Seemingly, the slope is getting more extreme, and the fluid is moving faster - I don't feel it, though. Strange.
A pause.
Also, uh, strange, is the fact that this radio device hasn't run out of power yet. I brought a bunch of batteries but stayed at full power the entire time - not sure how this is happening but it's good, I guess?

Transmissions received 2/7/2016

Alright, I think I've reached it. The bottom. Or at least, I'm closer than I've ever been before. Hooray.
I had just woken up, ate my breakfast, yadda yadda, and I started walking again and just almost immediately, it was there. Just, there. I didn't notice it before, but I'm pretty sure I've reached the bottom now - the fluid seems to be coming in through all directions, guess this place is shaped like a circle or something… and it's, going into this, uh, hole. This perfectly circular hole, fucking huge, like a football field across. Which is even weirder, because the rest of this space is almost organic, in a way. There's also this other space that's basically bordering the bottom - it's like some kind of forest, but the trees are made of metal and, I dunno, it's constantly shifting, I think. It's got the weird lights as well. The edges close to the pit are kind of, shifting even more, I guess. It's like it's being sucked in.
I can't think of anywhere else to go. I might explore this new space, then I probably am just going to head into that pit. It's… almost comforting. If the forest yields nothing this might be my best way out.

Nothing. I'm heading in.

I've arrived back. Looking in, there doesn't seem to be much down there, I have no idea where it leads. I'm going to try tethering myself with the rope kit to a tree in that strange forest and lower myself in.

That wasn't necessary at all. I put my feet down into the pit, expecting that I'd start falling down and to be caught by the rope, but instead of that, I was sucked towards the side. Seems there's some kind of like, gravitational pull, I guess, holding me to the side. Still can't see much looking down the pit, but I'm going to go back out to get the rope set before exploring.

Shit. Shit. Shit.
Retching.
Oh my fucking god. The same fucking feeling. Fuck.
Guo can be heard coughing.
I thought… I thought I got used to it…
A pause.
I guess I just have to leave the rope set. God damn, it hurts.
A pause.
No way to go but farther down, I guess.

I think it's been like 5 hours. The rest of this tunnel seems to be the exact same as the entrance - the same material, the same diameter, the same liquid rushing down by my ankles. I've come across another space - seems completely nonsensical. It's like, this layered tower, slowly but surely sliding further into the tunnel. I tried climbing it but halfway through I just passed right down and fell up onto the roof of the tunnel, which is the, ground now? I guess? At least I can confirm that the lights were there. And it was li-
A pause.
Hold on a fucking second. What is that? Is that-
Frantic squelching footsteps echo in the background.
Hey! Hey! You have to help me!
More footsteps.
I swear I-
The footsteps stop, followed by a minute of panting.
What the fuck. Wha-

-s not fucking on? Did I not have this fucking thing on?
Guo mutters something under his breath.
Oh, for fuck's sake, oh my fucking god. I didn't have it on.
Guo sighs.
Oh… my fucking god. I guess I can't do anything about that.
A pause.
Screw it, I'll just describe it. So uh, yeah. I thought I saw a person, which I think was pretty… evident from my reaction. So I sprint after this person - probably shouldn't have done that, if they were a normal person they probably would have assumed I was attacking them… but anyways, I sprint after them and I look up and it's not… a person. Well, it was. But there was a hole where her face should have been, filled with those swirls of light that filled those other spaces. I tried talking to her, but I don't think she understood anything that I was saying, and when she spoke back, she talked in what… felt like English. But it wasn't. It wasn't fucking English.
A pause.
Eventually, I decided to just leave her alone. So yeah.
Guo sighs again.
I guess that didn't lead to anything.

Transmissions received 2/8/2016

God, it's been days⁵, but strangely, I don't feel that tired. I don't feel that hungry, either. Walking in this tunnel, I've observed countless more spaces - didn't feel much of a need to share them, but this is, uh, different. I've arrived at some kind of new environment. It's all, uh, turquoise, I think is the word. It wraps around the entire tunnel - maybe it was a space that was fucking huge before it got sent here. Probably sent here. That's my working theory, at least. This space is some kind of… stomach, I think. Something has eaten these, spaces, and, uh, sent them here. Or maybe something else - I definitely don't have enough information. Liminal spaces don't make sense anyways. It's probably useless to try to make sense of them.
A pause.
Yeah, I should stop with this line of thinking. Think about Lily. Don't make Lily worry, Yuqing. You can't let her worry.

I've walked further through this turquoise environment - I'm calling it "The Turquoise", for now. It seems to be have been some kind of, I dunno, some kind of technologically advanced fantasy world, but it's all so degraded and chaotic. The terrain seems to be 2 things at once, like uh… how your vision displays two things at once when you cover one of your eyes or put something really close to your face. Yeah, like that. Lights gleam across the landscape, but their light is drowned out by these giant orbs, which just hang over the terrain. There's… skeletons dotted sparsely across the landscape, mangled, probably, by whatever is causing these distortions. I think there was one that was a dragon, or something like a dragon. Wings and everything. There were so many different environments - there was this field, then this bog, and so many others…I can be certain that this place is huge. I've walked for a few days again, maybe even months… god… I've lost track of time. There's just so much of it.
A pause.
I got to this, I don't know how to describe it, this city, I guess. More like a castle than a city. And while walking through I met a man. He wasn't a man like you and me - a cloaked figure, with cloth which covered his entire face. He stood there, immobile, not talking, not making a sound, but I could see that, uh, there were two streaks of wet where his eyes should have been. I thought about asking if he could feel the gravity.
Guo coughs.
When I passed he talked to me, and I thought about turning the radio thing on right then, but for some reason I knew that he wasn't, uh, going to be picked up. He told me that all his comrades had left down into the tunnel, and now, since he refused to go down further, he is stuck, as he is unable to go back up. And I told him that was stupid, and that I could go, so why couldn't he? And he told me to try it.
A pause.
He was right.
A pause.
Did I really never walk backwards towards the entrance?

I've been thinking these past few weeks. About, the universe, and stuff.
A pause.
I know I promised that I would stop thinking about this kind of shit but there really isn't much to do but to walk and to think, at this point. I was thinking about the terminology we use. We call these spaces "liminal spaces", liminal meaning transitional. But I never stopped to ask what they transitioned to and from.
A pause.
I mean, a transitional phase is supposed to connect two things, right? A bridge connects two spots. A field connects a mountain and some, uh, other biome. Or something. It's like when you're in elementary and you're learning about math and shit and they bring out that number line and put all the numbers on it and for some reason it's supposed to help with learning math or something? I didn't really get it, I was never a very… math-oriented person. God knows how much I've messed up doing my taxes, probably would've been sent to jail at this point without you, Lily.
Guo laughs. He stops abruptly.
So, uh, as I was saying, theory of liminality, right? So if we take the number line and take out just the segment with zero and one in it, just that little segment, you could say that 0 and 1 are the starting and endpoints and the various fractions are the liminal spaces. I guess.
A pause.
So if we use this model then… we definitely don't know what zero is, really. But we've spent decades just trying to figure out what it is, so there's these gobbledygook terms like quantum fluctuation or energies or whatever the hell people say these days. Not that I'm trying to look down on, uh, scientists or researchers, but even they have to admit that they have no fucking idea where this shit comes from. Which is why it's so enticing, I think. We all want to figure out what zero is. Everyone wants to know. But have these people considered, I'm wondering… what is one? What's the destination?
A pause.
Sorry about that rambling. I just couldn't think of anything else to talk about. I just felt that I needed to say something. Anything.

I don't know how long it's been.
A pause.
Great introduction, Guo. They haven't heard from you in god knows how long and the first thing you do is re-affirm that. Good job.
A pause.
Anyways, I think I've finally reached it. The bottom. Or at least, I'm near the bottom. I can fucking feel it. I've walked for so long, I've walked past patchwork places sown from clearly disparate ideas, I've walked past spaces which time does not seem to exist, I've walked past places which stretched far into the heavens. I walked past a mirror world, fused and mixed long ago with something clearly fungal, something clearly incompatible. Illuminated by the little swirling clouds of light I realized that I'm blurring around the edges, dotted with glowing points and dust. I can't feel my face anymore. Too scared to touch it.
A pause.
My point is that I don't know how long it's been, and I don't know how much longer I can last. Right now as I send this broadcast, I'm standing on the precipice of something. The fluid just… stops. Right here. I'll….I'll update you. I swear. I'm heading in.
Footsteps can be heard.
It feels like the tunnel here is just…widening. Nothing interesting at the moment.

The lights… they're everywhere. The clouds, the swirls, the points… they… fill the space around me. The tunnel is too vast to, uh, see, now. All I see is the ground below me. I feel something tug on my skin, on my hands…it hurts a bit, but I feel mostly fine.
A pause.
Just looked down at my hands - seems the blurriness is getting worse. For some reason, I feel fine.

As I walk I feel the ground below grow less and less real. I don't know how to describe it, but it's gone now. The lights have expanded as I walk. They used to be the size of a grain of rice, at most, now they dwarf me. I feel their tug as I walk past - I feel the little cloud particulates scrape against my unreal frame as I walk along the void. The radio is gone now, so is the flashlight, so are my hands and my feet. I felt them digested gently… and I'm fine with that.
A pause.
I need to reach the bottom.

Transmissions received 2/9/2016