ENTITY NO. III
THREAT LEVEL
5
Habitat:
Dark areas of any level
Aggression: 5/5
Aggressive to all lifeforms
Intellect: 5/5
Above human intelligence
Danger: 5/5
Life-threatening
Smilers, bearing the scientific name Subridens tenebris bestia[1], are an intelligent, highly malevolent, and exceedingly dangerous species of tartrean-class spectral entity[2], being distressingly common within regions of the Backrooms with low levels of light. Although formal research on these beings has been going on for decades on end, and documentation of them stretches back to prehistoric times with texts of non-human sapients, much about the nature of these entities remains a mystery to this very day.
Serving as one of the few apex predators in the twisted ecosystem of this realm, Smilers lack any natural predators due to their unique aggression and prominent anomalous capabilities, being one of the most dangerous non-individual entities recorded thus far. Many wanderers end succumbing to the malevolence of these demons, their mangled corpses being strewn across the floor as a warning to future humans within this dimension.
That being said, one thing is very well known about these beasts:
Once you see their glowing face in the darkness, the next choices you make will be very crucial to your survival.
Although Smilers are entirely amorphous, being able to shift their body mass to any form at will, they still have two documented organs: the Ardenti risu and the Nigrum ignem. The Nirgum ignem, making up the majority of a Smiler’s body mass, is an unidentified spectral substance which appears completely pitch black, with a form best likened to fire. Conversely, the Ardenti Risu is the luminescent substance which often forms a Smiler’s iconic glowing eyes and teeth, serving as both a vector for intimidation and as a sensory organ used by the entities to see and hear.[3]
Due to their shapeshifting capabilities, Smilers are capable of taking numerous forms, each serving their own purposes and physical properties. Humanoid or canine-like body plans tend to be common within instances, but other forms have included massive spider-like organisms, twisted “birds” flying high up in the skies of dark exterior levels, and more.
Despite the various perils posed by them, their ability to phase through physical matter to bypass any barriers in their way, and their complete immunity to physical damage via their selective corporeality, Smilers do have two distinct weaknesses: light and fire. When their body comes into contact with light in the visual spectrum, they will appear to wince in pain, the amount of which increases based on the amount of light they are exposed to. This supernatural sensitivity to light can usually be used to repel the beings or evade their assault via a flashlight or staying in a lit room, but take caution; similarly to normal humans, some Smilers have higher amounts of pain tolerance than others, and thus they may pursue you even in the light. Additionally, a Smiler catches on fire, it will slowly begin to dissolve, decreasing its mass until it has been killed. No residual matter is left after this process.
Smilers are thought to possess human-like intelligence, evident by their impressive cognitive capability and their ability to cooperate with each other effectively. Additionally, findings by The Kauer Research Organization have indicated that the beings are able to telepathically communicate with each other within a limited (but as of yet undetermined) range, further amplifying their intelligence via sheer numbers and making large numbers of these entities much more concerning than usual. Consequently, if one spots you, many more are likely on the way.
Furthermore, Smilers are well known for their enmity towards all life (with the exception of Stalkers and Anethikas). Night Hunters tend to have prominent sadistic tendencies, often verbally taunting their victims with their distorted and ever-changing voices and taking a particular interest in torturing those unlucky enough to be caught by one. The entities often prefer to use deceitful methods to catch their prey, often setting up ambushes near critical points where wanderers might be vulnerable to an attack, or setting up various traps and snares to immobilize humans before assaulting them.
The lucky ones die relatively quickly. The others.... not so much. There are recovered documents and logs (both audio and video) that have been confirmed to be within the M.E.G's archives, sealed from the public to prevent panic. Stories by various wanderers have described rotting cadavers mutilated beyond recognition, their bodies often having been maimed in a borderline ritualistic fashion, and reported methods of attack by these monsters often employ a plethora of methods, including stabbing via transforming some of their mass into appendages to injure their prey, blunt damage, strangulation, flaying of the skin, biting, and many, many more. Those who do survive an attack often walk away with permanent trauma and severe injuries for the rest of their life.
As Smilers do not seem to consume their victims in any way, it is thought that they hunt exclusively for sport.
A bloodstained note found next to a rotting corpse:
As I walked through the strange halls, it became clearer and clearer to me that this place was not safe. The air was filled with a horrible stench, one of death and decay. I had ran out of food supplies days ago, so I slowly crept towards the source, in desperation for any way to feed myself. But once I found the source, I very quickly came to regret my decision.
The body was mutilated beyond recognition. The limbs of the corpse lay on the ground severed from its body. Its skin was entirely ripped off, its entrails hanging out of its body in a visceral display. The concrete floor was stained with dried blood.
As my eyes slowly moved from the body to the dark hallway in front of it, I found the thing responsible for this. A beast as dark as the night sky, hiding in the shadows with a sinister grin lunged towards me, its body morphing from an formless mass of black fire into a three meter tall monster, armed with sharp claws.
I have escaped it, but it won't be long before I bleed out in this state.
To whoever finds this note: kill this thing once and for all.
Do not let it take more lives.
A excerpt from an interview with M.E.G. explorer Harvie Tobin:
Some people say to simply scare those Smiler things away with lights, but those bastards are clever. Last time me and my team tried that, it moved away from our flashlight beams, phased through the wall and took John with it. We haven't seen him since.
My advice? Get some gasoline, a good match, and torch the fuckers before they even get close.
An tablet written in ancient Greek, translated to English:
THE TEMPLE SHOOK AGAIN, WITH EVERY WORD IT SAID.
REALITY UNRAVELED AS IT REARED ITS GRUESOME HEAD.
"THEIR MINDS WILL ALL FALL, YOUR SMARTEST AND YOUR WISE."
"YOUR SANITY IS A VEIL. YOUR COURAGE IS A GUISE."
THE BEAST'S CHILDREN REVEALED THEMSELVES, TAINTING ALL THAT HAD BEEN.
MONSTERS IN THE DARKNESS THAT WORE NOTHING BUT A GRIN.
Excerpt from a news article on the increasing Smiler population after The Flicker:
...the Smiler population has had an estimated 300% increase since the incident, with them going from primarily inhabiting the Main Nine to infesting hundreds of levels. Reports have even surfaced of them appearing in levels previously thought to be devoid of dangerous entities.
M.E.G. leadership has authorized the use of contingency plan FIREWALL in the event that this situation worsens.
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- ↑ Latin for "dark smiling beast". Other more informal names include "Night Hunters" and "Laughing Nightmares".
- ↑ "Tartrean-Class" is a term often used by parabiologists within the Backrooms to describe spectral beings which are both hostile and actively malevolent. Although origins of spectral entities with this type vary greatly, a useful comparison for these specters is the portrayal of "demons" in media related to abrahamic religions.
- ↑ Contrary to popular belief, the Ardenti Risu does not necessarily form a set of smiling teeth and eyes; instances of the beings instead forming uncanny human faces or angler-like lights used to lure prey are not unheard of.