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Level 681 is the 682nd level of the Backrooms.

Survival Difficulty: Class 2

Unsafe

Secure

Moderate Entity Count

Description

Level 681 is a small pond located in an unknown American city. The only notable feature of this pond is the abundance of silver mallards that float around in it. These mallards are referred to as "Gerald" by the locals. It is currently unknown if these mallards are living organisms or are simply decoys. Regardless of their living status, the mallards have been known to secrete a highly dangerous toxin on their bodies. Specifics of the toxin are unknown, but several wanderers have compared its symptoms to the Batrachotoxin neurotoxin.

The only other notable features in Level 681's boundary are a wooden shack near the western edge of the pond and a chain-link fence that surrounds the area at length. Attempting to bypass this fence in any way will immediately trigger a teleportation to the shack. The five people known as the "Locals" reside here. They are not dangerous to wanderers and will only become hostile in the event of theft or an attack. The Locals also sell a small variety of food, drink, and tools. (more details in "Settlements" section) Little is known about Level 681's surrounding city, although the Locals have been known to refer to it in conversation.

The pond itself does not appear to be toxic. Wanderers are free to swim in the water as long as they do not incur contact with any of the mallards. Due to its unknown nature, however, water taken from the pond should not be ingested. The Locals have been known to both buy and sell this water at times.

Settlements

The Shack refers to the small wooden building near the pond's western end. This is the only known settlement in the area. The Locals also frequent this building.

The Locals:

  • Mary Setlow, 41 - Mary Setlow is the primary trader in Level 681. She resides at The Shack. Mary is very reserved and will rarely share information with wanderers. Asking her for anything besides trading and basic necessities will usually result in her hiding in her room. No one's ever tried to go into her room. She is married to Ted Setlow.
  • Ted Setlow, 44 - Ted Setlow acts as the secondary trader and the primary caretaker in Level 681. He resides at the shack. Unlike his wife, Ted is much more outgoing to wanderers and will willingly make small talk. Ted is also the only Local that sells food and drink. Despite being married to Mary Setlow, Ted rarely interacts with her. If asked about Mary's whereabouts, Ted will always say the same sentence: "I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Maybe cooped up in that dungeon of hers." Ted will refuse to elaborate any further.
  • Will, 68 - Will is The Shack's hunter and gatherer. He often talks about going on extravagant hunts around the pond and bagging large animals (although no animals other than the mallards have been sighted in Level 681), and will simply laugh if calling him a liar or expressing doubt. Will has not shared his last name, and none of the Locals seem to know it, either. Asking Will directly results in the phrase "Sport, I don't think that's for you to know." Will is the only Local with a firearm: a Glock G30 Gen4. No wanderers have seen it in use.
  • Lily Anderson, 52 - Lily simply exists in The Shack. She never goes outside. Some wanderers have wondered if Lily is glued to the wooden chair she sits on every day. She speaks as if everything is okay. Lily will idly speak on mundane events - "nice weather we're having!" - but never initiates dialogue. Unlike the other locals, Lily will not react to any crimes or actions that wanderers commit inside of The Shack. Will has sometimes been known to say "that bitch needs some help, you know" when being asked about Lily. Other than this, no other comments about Lily have ever surfaced. Asking Mary, Ted and Ariana anything about Lily will not elicit a response.
  • Ariana Wright, 28 - Ariana is the most recent Local to reside in The Shack. While she (supposedly) retains memories of being a wanderer, she acts just as preprogrammed as the others. It may be an error within the Level itself. Ariana has sometimes been observed walking out of The Shack and stepping directly into the pond. She will always end up touching a mallard after a few moments of wading. It is advised to ignore her screams. After Ariana has died, her body will disappear. She will only return to The Shack after a full in-level day of time has passed. Don't ask her why she's walking.

Other than Ariana, the Locals are incapable of being injured or killed, although they usually act as if they are. The Locals will remain hostile to the offending wanderer until they are either killed or have left the Level. Will usually takes the victim's corpse and tosses it into the pond (regardless of the victim's weight), and the mallards will slowly dissolve the body until no human matter remains.

Locations

There are a few more notable locations in Level 681 that should be noted.

  • The Cove - to the far north of the pond; a small outcropping of rocks shielded by a stone arch. Most wanderers have been known to go to The Cove for privacy or experimentation. Lily has been known to reference it in conversation: "I sure would love to go to The Cove someday! I hear the rocks are amazing!"
  • The Chest - the deepest point of the pond; a wooden chest sitting underwater in the center of the pond. The few wanderers that have been able to reach it have not been able to open it. The Locals will not respond to this information. Incidentally, this area is also an alternate exit from Level 681.
  • The Cliff - directly above The Cove; this location can only be reached with a ladder or some other climbing device. There's nothing of note up here. The only reason that you would have to go up here is between yourself and no one else. The Locals aren't aware of the methods used to get to The Cliff. They will not respond to any information relating to here.

The Mallards

As mentioned earlier, the mallards (which will also be collectively referred to as "Gerald") floating in the Level's pond are highly toxic by nature. Batrachotoxin is assumed to be the primary toxin found on their skin. This highly potent alkaloid has a median lethal dose of around 135 micrograms (μg) for a 68 kilogram individual, which means that one touch on any part of the body will almost always result in a fatal dose. There are no known antidotes for the Geralds' neurotoxin. Death typically results around ten minutes after initial contact.

The Geralds' toxin is not able to dissolve any materials, however, which means that wearing gloves or using a non-biological item to pick up a mallard is perfectly safe. Bringing a mallard inside of The Shack is highly discouraged, as The Locals will immediately attempt to remove the mallard from the area. Mary has an "in case of mallard" glove box below the main counter. Despite acting as if the mallards are dangerous, The Locals cannot be harmed by them.

Many wanderers have speculated the origin of the mallards, but the simple truth is that Level 681 originated with these mallards, and it will exist for all eternity with them. The Geralds are unable to be removed from the Level, and attempting to exit while in possession of any of them will make escape impossible.

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