"What once belong to him will always belong to him, for he do not share, even in death. He do not sleep, even in death. What lies there might not breathe, but they see, as much as he do. They know, as much as he should. So do not take what's his, or he will take what's yours. Be cautious when entering his domain, wanderers. We have lose many good men, here in this subterranean hell. However, no signs can stop you. No, there's nothing that can stop the greed of mankind. That's exactly why HE continue to rule this domain, even in death. Because no one else could be as greedy as the man who reigned over gold. Not you, not me, and not even his own godforsaken creations."
- Note from Senior Researcher Adam Glaze at one of the level's outpost.
Description
A popular painting of the level (Copyright of Ubisoft Entertainment)
The Great Cavern of Altera or shortly the Great Cavern is an enigmatic level connected to hundreds other levels, and also home of many sublevels. It is also one of the richest region of the Backrooms in the term of precious resources, with valuable minerals exceeding the collective amount expected to exist in the whole Frontroom.
The Great Cavern is an enormous subterranean system of undetermined size, but currently measured over a thousand kilometers in length. The geography of the cavern is varied between regions, ranging from narrow spaces to humongous chambers, with ravines and cliffs between its valleys. The rock formation is highly diverse, often with composition of minerals that are normally impossible. Some unique minerals here includes the Poolstone, Pandemonium, Perbonsium, Crystalium and many more. Many kind of crystals often decorates the floors, walls or even ceilings. Some of them emanate faint glow, acting as light source of the level.
One of the mining area. (Credit to Noah Bradley)
The Backrooms Mining Company have been actively colonizing the level, mining as much resource as they could. The Major Explorer Group has also tried securing the level for as much as possible by setting in outposts, although reports of anomalies has hindered much of their progress. The cavern seemingly shift around, even though seismic activities never occurs. Some theories discussed the possibility of the cavern "growing" or even sentient, but the speculation has been disproved at large. The phenomena never occurs in an occupied region, and instead, in the unoccupied spaces between each settlements.
A wanderer observing the ruin (Credit to Yun Gong)
There are ruins scattered across the level, and strangely, many of them resemble ancient civilization of the Frontroom that should have not exist here. Most of the ruins are small and scarce, but some are large enough to form a town or even an entire city. However, much of the civilization are seemingly corrupted or altered, with culture unlike what known in the history of mankind. Although it's possible to understand their language due to the similarity with many ancient civilizations, all of them has their own history and identity. They also refer to the level as "Altera" and viewed the cavern as a world of its own. Due to this, then the level is theorized to be something akin to the "Hollow Earth" theories.
Right now, there are no sign of surviving society here. However, due to the expansive scale of the level, it's impossible to tell what else exist in the cavern. As far as many concerned, the level itself may be a bottomless abyss leading to the underworld. Some expressed grave dread to the depth, saying that the more they dig into the earth, the more it seems like they're going deeper to hell. Although there are no scientific evidence to back the claim, it's a common belief that there are something that lies deep there, that should never see the light of day. And many afraid that one day, they would accidentally touched the forbidden, and open a gate to an untold horror.
"The greed of mankind knows no bound, and it bound to be our downfall. We fought for gold as we ravage the earth, not realizing the consequence of our action. But who's to blame? The more something is hidden, the more we curious about them. Indeed, the forbidden is the most desirable."
- Professor Graham Rayleigh, Principal Investigator of the Backrooms Research Society.
Subsections
Considering how enigmatic and enormous is the level, then there are many sections of the level that are noteworthy of documentation. This category will only include regions that actually reside on the level, which mean, any sublevels will be disregarded. For the sake of simplicity, this section will also include any entities that may inhabit each of the regions.
Save Rooms
An odd, conveniently-placed rooms for wanderers to rest, trade and store belongings. They tend to be small in size, which prevent creations of large colonies, but enough for a small outpost. Their size varies between ten to hundreds of meters, and they typically are enclosed space. Some of them are natural formation and part of the caverns, and some of them are formed in the ruins. You can easily recognize that the Save Rooms as their serene, ethereal, peaceful atmosphere would immediately soothe and calm down anyone there. Only friendly entities can enter the place, and the Blacksmith often visit the rooms to craft usable items with the right price.
A pool of Neon Water (Credit to Joshu)
Underground Water Channels
The cavern host many source of water, from rivers to lakes, and with various type of liquid. Almond Water is quiet abundant on some region, while some rarer region may produce Neon Water or other type of water instead. Save Rooms tend to have a drinkable water resource, though most are in small quantity and barely enough to form a fountain.
An abandoned mine (Artist Unknown)
Ancient Mines
This section includes any non-manmade mines that belongs to no factions, although still something worth claiming as they tend to contain much valuable minerals, ready to be mined. However, it's best to not go there unarmed, as hostile entities tend to swarm the place. Entities may include Facelings, Smilers, Scratcher, Hounds. Death Rats, Death Moths, Toxin Spitters and many more. Apparently, many wanderers are also driven insane here, establishing urban legends that these mines are haunted and cursed by the dead, forever tormented after their greed caused triggered some sort of tragedies. Most of them are apparently belong to the Dwarven Bastion at the deeper end of the level, although many mines belonging to unknown, extinct, ancient civilizations are also common.
A section of the bastion (Artist Unknown)
Dwarven Bastion
A gargantuan underground empire seemingly forged by intelligent race akin to dwarves, based on their remnants of civilization. The kingdom is perplexingly expansive considering the size of their denizen, especially because most of the architecture are seemingly designed for something larger than even humans. Apparently, the place hired other mythical races such as trolls and orcs, at least according to the relics analyzed so far. Although research has been done at large, the kingdom is still remained uncharted at most. The complex pathways, buried roads and blocked corridors with all the collapsing ruins and rubles has impede many attempts of scouting the bastion. Right now, it's estimated that only 30% of the kingdom has been mapped, which cover about five kilometers in total.
- WARNING: Do not steal any of the treasures! Many of them are cursed, and lord knows what would happen if you try to steal any of them. Hundreds have tried, and many of them succumb to some unfortunate fate worse than death.
Because he knows. He never sleeps. He's always watching, always waiting...
The puzzling interior of the tomb (Credit to Jorge Jacinto)
The Golden Tomb
An enigmatic ruin at the upper region of the level, and is generally covered in more sands than rocks. Very little understood from this site, more so than the Dwarven Bastion itself. The tomb is a maze of cryptic mechanism, seemingly connecting to several different locations of the cavern, with little to no logical patterns as one place simply lead to where they shouldn't be. Even worse, the interior seemingly shifting with each days, sometimes even hours- Again, with no conceivable pattern. The tomb is mostly guarded by mechanical or inorganic entities, typically akin to golems. Right now, there's not enough study to categorize them into their own entities. However, the ruins refer them as the "Golden Guardians" created by the "Golden Pharaoh", who apparently also the master of the tomb. Whether or not the Golden Pharaoh truly reside in the tomb, and whether the entity still exist, is a mystery yet to be told.
Do not be fooled! He's always there... Somewhere... Watching...
After all, he's the reason why we can't ever rest in peace...
No, not even the Dwarven King knows his whereabout...
But perhaps, that damned lying librarian knows...
A painting of the gate (Credit to TJ Foo)
Hell's Gate
A mysterious structure located at the lower end of the level, and so far, is one of the deepest point of the cavern ever discovered. At the dark, cold, desolate abyss, there lies a gigantic gate, tightly shut and reinforced by layers of protection to prevent anyone from opening the gate. The gate itself is mentioned by many ruins across the levels, including the Dwarven Bastion and the Golden Tomb. Apparently, it lead to the underworld, and if the gate ever been opened, great calamity will swallows the world. It is apparently a "Pandora's Box" that should never be opened, as whatever lies beyond is something that should never, ever be witnessed...
Oh trust me, you don't want to go there...
We tried, many of us do..
But what lies there is even worse than what lies here in Altera...
Not like we have the luxury to choose...
Of which kings do we serve...
Entities
Other than any of the previously mentioned entities, the level is also host of many unique entities. Currently, there are about 25 entities documented on the level, but due to how little do we understand of them, we will only include the most noteworthy of the entities.
Cavemen Facelings
Facelings of cavemen variety, and exist in varying races. They tend to act like how cavemen should be, dressed in clothes made of skin and wield weapons made of rocks.
Cavern Bugs
Large varieties insects that are unique to the level. Many of them are somewhat akin to average bugs, however larger and are usually armored. Many of them are either blind of bioluminescence, as they took advance of the dark environment in their own ways.
A drawing of a fully grown Groundeater (Artist Unknown)
Groundeaters
Colossal worm-like monstrosities that inhabit the level in general. Their size varies depending on their age; Their babies are about fifty meters in length, and half a meter in width. Their teenage form varies between one to two hundreds meters in length, and ten to twenty meters in width. When reaching adulthood, their size typically measured over five hundreds meters in length, and fifty meters in width.
Groundeaters are non-hostile entities that do not harm wanderers or other organic creatures, despite their enormous mouth filled with rows of drill-like teeth. They use their twisted teeth to drill through rocks, digging through floors, walls or even ceilings of the cavern while digesting every minerals on the way. This is the reason why they're given such name, as they eat the earth itself. It's also implied that many of the tunnels in the caverns are path created by the worms.
Although docile, Groundeaters are extremely resilient considering their thick hide and resilience to pain. Even their babies can withstand rounds of gunfire, while their teenagers require explosives to be disposed. Right now, there are no known methods that could effective damage adult Groundeaters, as their body are tougher than even the rocks of the cavern. So far, the Groundkeepers are the only natural predator of the worms.
Depiction of the Groundkeeper (Credit to Morten Solgaard Pedersen)
Groundkeepers
Gigantic humanoid entities that scourge the caverns, and currently, the most dangerous and powerful beings that inhabit the level. These titans crawl through the cavern like geckos with their twisted limbs; They have four arms and two legs at minimum, but there are cases where they has more. Despite their monstrous behavior and inability to communicate, they seems to be quite intellectual, as they seems to be aware of traps set around them, and able to take advantage of their environment, similar to apes. Due to their intellect, confronting the Groundkeepers are highly unadvised, even when sufficiently armed. They're unexpectedly agile for their size, and they can shrug most of firearm at ease. Most entities also avoid or even afraid of them, with few exception such as Always Screaming that would instead defend themselves, and might fend off the giants away. Nevertheless, the Groundkeepers rarely ever attack wanderers, as they seemingly patrol the cavern for "anomalies" to fix, implying that they're managing the level. Interestingly, they're the most aggressive toward Groundeaters, as they almost always would attack them, even trying to eat them alive. The reason behind their actions have yet to be truly understood, some speculate that they simply follow their predatory desire, or they consider the worms as parasites that must be eliminated. If the second theory is true, then the Groundkeepers are simply preventing the worms from damaging the cavern.
Groundkeepers are typically about twenty to fifty meters, and many of them carry semblance of civilization such as accessories befitting their size. Due to this, it's theorized that they're once denizen of the Dwarven Bastion, until something cursed them and transformed them to what they are now. Some other theory suggest that they're always been this way, but the dwarves still hired them for mining the level or crafting their kingdom, which explain why many sections of the kingdom are exceptionally large.
Do not judge the keepers, wanderers..
They're the last that we have to keep Altera safe..
The king have long abandon us..
Our brethren fell from grace...
And the gate of hell calls from the abyss...
Please tell me, wanderer...
How long do we need to wait?
How much longer do we must suffer?
We have paid you enough...
We have serve you enough...
Free us...
Help us...
Colonies and Outposts
Considering the enormous size of the cavern and all the valuable resources inside, the level is home for countless of communities. Below are the list of the most notable, noteworthy colonies and outposts of Altera.
Backrooms Mining Company
- One of the largest mining company of the Backrooms.
- Claimed large portion of the levels.
- In rivalry with other big factions.
- Profiting much from the minerals of the cavern.
Almond Water inc.™
- Owned some of the water sources here.
- Actively distributing drinks to supply the safe rooms.
- Working with other business companies here.
Commercium Foundation
- One of the largest trading company of the Backrooms.
- Supporting the economy of the level and beyond.
- Has many useful items, for the right price.
Backroom Colonists
- The federation has set many colonies here.
- Establishing safe routes for wanderers.
- Working together for both profit and power.
M.E.G Base Altera 1 - 7
- Seven bases set in the levels to secure the perimeter.
- Has more than ten thousands members on the level.
- Armed, dangerous, and ready to help wanderers.
- Regularly patrols to eliminate hostile entities.
Entrances and Exits
Due to the vast scale of the level, it's almost impossible to cover the entire cavern. However, based on what documented so far, there are quite many entrances and exits from the level.
Entrances
- Dig around any ground in the Backrooms, and there's a small chance to lead here. Any natural holes might also work. The more natural the holes, the higher the chance for the path to lead here. Due to this, any caverns such as Level 8 tend to lead here.
- Any underground levels might sometimes lead here, which includes the Metro and Hub. The deeper the level goes, the more chance for you to go here. Due to this, levels based on basements and alike would rarely ever lead here.
- Sometimes, paths of Subterra and The Deep End would lead here.
Exits
- The Great Cavern is an entrance to hundreds of levels, including the Main Nine. Many of the entrances are unstable in nature, but some are stable enough to be secured by the colonies here as route for trading between levels. This might include some of the most dangerous anomalous levels, including Level Ω and alike.
- However, noclipped in the wrong spot or go through the wrong tunnel made by the Groundeaters and you might go to the Downrooms.
- Right now, the Dwarven Bastion and Golden Tomb still hold many pathways that we've yet understand, however, some of them act like teleporter that might bring you to certain or random places across the Backrooms.
- Do not question what lies beyond the Hell's Gate...
Eons has passed ever since the conception...
Who could truly tell what lies beyond the veil of time?
Far too long we lies in the darkness of Altera...
Seeking for the sun that we could never see...
We dig deep, up and down, left and right...
Then, he came to us in glimmer of light...
The Golden King, the King in Yellow...
Pharaoh from the land beyond...
The sacred, holy, hallowed one...
The one that could open the sky...
The one that could brought us the sun...
We're blinded by the hope to see the dawn...
Only to be cursed by the everlasting night...
We paid the price when the contract was made...
As what said, an ounce of gold for an ounce of gold...
But how much would you need to buy the sun?
It was impossible, and yet, we were blinded...
Now, there's nothing else but regret...
Oh wanderer, it's been so long...
It's so cold down here...
Please, can you lend your hand?
And bring us to the promised land?
All that we ever asked...
Is just to see the sunrise...
For one last time...
zh-hk:關卡1
