Level 192 : "Pareidolia"

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Level 192 is a large forest that is several acres large. It seems to have a 24-hour daylight cycle, but the canopy is thick enough that the level stays consistently dark. The forest is comprised entirely of giant sequoias, or at the very least anomalous trees that vaguely resemble them. These trees are where the danger of the level truly begins.

Every sequoia in this level has a special arrangement of knots that resemble human faces which wanderers have noted cause an extreme sense of pareidolia and dread. The quality of these "faces" vary, ranging from being highly realistic to simply being holes for eyes and a mouth (see image above.) However, an undetermined percentage of these faces seem to have extreme power over human physiology. If a wanderer makes eye contact with one, looking away from it will cause irreversible cardiac arrest.1 In order to avoid this, it is recommended that you keep your eyes on the ground, pick a direction, and walk in it. Since this level has no clear path or road to travel down, it is important to always walk in a straight line, or else you'll end up walking in circles due to having no way to reorient yourself.

Aside from the trees, this level has no vegetation. The ground appears to consist of normal soil. However, the worm count of the soil is extraordinarily high, with multiple worms being visible in almost any open patch of dirt. Digging a few meters under the surface reveals a solid wall of bone about 3 feet thick.2 The soil continues as usual underneath. Investigation of this wall's origin is currently ongoing.

There are no known Communities, Bases, or Outposts on this level due to the lack of any convenient spot to set one up.

The necrotic realm is the space overlaid on top of the 4th dimension
Souls improperly disposed of clamor for attention
They can't exit the forest, no matter how I steer them

But alas, nothing changes, and only I can hear them

But that's not entirely true, is it?
This forest is infested with the ghosts of those long past.
The trees watch them.
The wanderers who looked away had their souls ripped out of their bodies, eaten and digested by the trees trees trees trees trees trees trees trees trees tr

Do:

• Get out as soon as possible.
• Keep your eyes on the ground.
• If you accidentally look at a face, do not break eye contact. Back away until you find an exit.

Don't:

• Look at any of the faces
• Look away from any of the faces

I am the Druid
I found the Forest of Souls
I stared at the face for hours and hours
And they whispered to me
I hate them
I am them
They call me the Seer, the Lorax, the Mouthpiece
The eyes are everywhere

I hear their victims calling me
I see their spirits floating through the ethereal plane
The necrotic realm is almost full of the stolen souls
What happens when it overflows?
What happens when the victims come to take their revenge?
What happens when death comes to reap his reward?

The eyes, they watch
The noses, they breathe
The mouths, they eat
…

I hate you so much

Entrances

• In the forest of Level 62, there is a pair of trees that the M.E.G. has marked with standard-issue fluorescent orange flags. At any given point, there is a very small chance that these trees will serve as the outline of a gate to Level 192. The exit point is the same each time, and none of the "faces" visible through the gate have anomalous properties.
• Noclipping through the ground in Level 39.

Exits

• Backing out of the forest leads to Level 170, at which point it is safe to break eye contact.