Level 209 : "Ol' Chippy"

Level 209 is a modern, cobbled street corner which stretches far to the north & south under a vast encompassing midnight sky. Spread along the street corner of the level are english-styled 'Fish & Chip' shops. The northern length of the street corner appears to be around twice that of the south side. Despite this, the total size of the level is unknown at this time (see The Fog for more information).

The large selection of 'Fish and Chip' shops across this level each have a single adult faceling operating them. These facelings typically wear white aprons over white shirts, and usually wear a cap or visor, they have been nicknamed 'Chippy Facelings'. They are normally docile and won't act aggressively against wanderers. The following circumstances have been known to provoke many of these facelings:

• Physically assaulting the faceling
• Attempting to bypass the countertop
• Breaking the glass food display
• Taking food that is not handed over
• Attacking another human on the street

Noting the final example given—whenever this occurs, the faceling seems to attack both the aggressor and the victim indiscriminately. However, there has never been a recorded death as a result of this, and they typically return to being docile after injuring a culprit.

Rarely, one of these facelings will leave their post via a door behind their stall. Each stall is connected to what seems to be a storage area, filled with shelving and boxes. The boxes typically only contain metal cooking implements like spatulas, tongs, knives, and fryer baskets, but also sometimes scalpels or screwdrivers. Strangely, facelings don't appear to be hostile if someone enters the storage area, but do seem to ignore any wanderer they come across there.

The facelings on this level can be 'bartered' with, albeit without the use of conventional currency. When a wanderer requests something from behind the counter, they will be granted it within a limit. This limit seems to correlate with how the individual speaks to the entity before they get their first food. The facelings will only give food of the category requested, rather than a specific chosen variety. Each chippy faceling appears to keep their opinion of each person they serve for each subsequent encounter, but all facelings seem to not grant any further food items for a few hours to a wanderer who has already received some from a shop.

The following are the findings of what forms of request garner what response from the facelings.

• Rude request: 0-1 Items1
• Neutral request: 1-2 Items
• Polite request: 3-4 Items
• Sarcastic request: 1-6 Items

The stalls at this level stock three main forms of food: chips, seafood, and sausage. No forms of beverage are served by the Facelings.

Chips
The chips are always served with a heavy drizzle of what looks like vinegar, but has actually been proven via chemical tests to be a caramelized sugary syrup made from an almond water base. Despite the lack of regular beverages available on this level, wanderers who have tried these have commented feeling slightly refreshed afterwards.

Fish
Various forms of battered and breaded fish can also be found in the display. Typically, cod, haddock, salmon, rockfish, and plaice will be available. Other more exotic seafoods have been occasionally spotted but much more rarely, including squid calamari, coconut crab leg, and even pufferfish fugu.2

Sausage
Lastly, the sausage comes in three varieties: regular, battered, and saveloy. Wanderers who have tried this have described the taste as being ‘nothing’, but with enhanced texture. The meat inside the casing resembles meat, but doesn't match up with any animal from Earth.

All attempts to source how or where these items are sourced from have failed.

When food is given by the facelings, it is wrapped in a traditional newspaper wrapping. These newspapers seem to describe real events in the United Kingdom between the 1970’s and the mid 2000’s. However, some elements seem to be inaccurate to the Frontrooms, including exact dates, the surnames of important people, and they have no indication of newspaper brand or paper pricing model.

A lot of the time, these newspapers refer to the British Royal Family, but will in some instances replace standard titles like King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Monarch for more esoteric titles, such as Captain, Commander, and Doctor. Other papers have been found to consist entirely of arbitrary nouns and verbs in no coherent order or narrative. The only constant reoccurring element on these newspapers is the following phrase printed at the bottom in Latin;

"Nos maxima culpa."

In addition to the streets and shops, Level 209 also has a section just off the street corner relegated to a parking lot. No cars or other vehicles have ever been seen in this area. On the outskirts of the area is a thick dark fog. This dark fog is theorized to be possibly related to the darkness on Level 6, as no light is able to pierce it.

The exact location and scale of the mist in the level is not static, and has been noticed to roll in and out every so often. This time span between shifts in the fog's distance from the parking lot span from 3-5 days, all the way to a few weeks. Whenever it rolls out, it recedes back roughly 5 meters3 in distance. When this occurs, it reveals lightly wooded verges, road lines, and orange tinted streetlamps. These lamps appear to always be actively illuminating, except for when the fog is rolled in.

If a wanderer tries to explore too far past the mists surrounding the level, they are subjected to the Haze Effect. The individual disappears for a random interval between one & four hours, before re-emerging at the edge of the mist. After being subjected to this effect, the individual forgets what they were doing just before the effect took place and seems to go through a brief intoxicated, almost-drunken fatigued state until remembering something vaguely happening to them. Several interviews with affected individuals have given the following examples:

• Thinking they were hit by a swerving red car.
• Being approached by a collection of about a dozen or so humanoids.
• Seeing people in the dark looking at them.
• Believing to see their childhood home in the distance.
• Thinking they were stabbed in the leg and having to stumble away.

After the interview, the affected individuals were given medical tests. No injuries have been noted despite testimony seeming to prove otherwise, and blood-alcohol levels do not appear elevated after re-emerging from the haze.

Additionally, the M.E.G. have interviewed the only community currently on this level, the Lads, in order to gather information on their personal experience with the fog.

Interview Audio - 23/03/2021

Begin Log: 04:24

M.E.G Operative: So, George, you are the supposed leader of your little group?
George: Well, leader is a strong word—but I guess you can say that. Colette4 may be the brains and Josh the bravest out of us, but I believe I'm usually the one to speak on our pack's behalf.
M.E.G Operative: Fair enough. So anyways, first question: How exactly did you discover the fog's properties?
George: Ahh, okay. So one day, me, Josh, Dan, Edward & Colette were gawking at the Facelings, when Paul thought it'd be an "excellent idea" to go off the street corner and towards the darkness.
George: We were certainly in for a very bloody big scare when he up and vanished on us. Thank god the fog returns those it takes I suppose…
M.E.G Operative: Writing down notes Okay, next question: do you think the fog and by extension, the related Haze Effect are major safety risks on the level?
George: Hmm.. I wouldn't overly say so. Most people who come here come here willingly and usually already know the do's and don'ts, and typically, the place is low populated enough that while we're active here, we're able to warn people before they do something dangerous.
M.E.G Operative: Alright, thank you so far… Now last question: Do you—as some of the most prominent explorers of this level—believe there is any major chance of hostile entities existing someplace else on the level?
Brief moment of silence
George: In my honest opinion, it's unlikely. This belief isn't blind either—since with how quiet the level is, I can't reasonably bring myself to believe there to be any palpable number of entities out there beyond the fog.
George: That being said, I'll admit the idea still holds some almond water. After all, all that stuff the fog victims claim? Sometimes, they can be awfully detailed descriptions..
The operative finishes writing down something
M.E.G Operative: And that will be all that's needed. Thank you for being clear and being willing to take the interview.
George: Pleasure's all mine! I'm always up to answer a stranger's questions around here.

End Log: 04:29
Note: Just after the interview concluded, George gave the interviewer a glass bottle halfway filled with almond water.

'The Lads'

• Were the first to discover the level.
• Set up with a couple of benches at the corner point of the level.
• Community is welcoming to wanderers and offers a seat to eat, drink, share stories and have a good time.
• Attempts to break up arguments that unfold on the street corner of the level before things get violent.
• Community is made up of a permanent collection of (6) friends that previously explored together. The pseudo-leader goes by the name 'George'.

Entrances

• One can find a pair of metal double doors on Level 6.1 in a staff area, which will lead into the storage area of this level.
• Going through a specific dead-end alleyway in Level 9.2 will lead to a dumpster. Crawling in and through the dumpster will lead out from another dumpster against a brick wall located on the far south side of the level.
• If one were to fall unconscious on the road in Level 299, there is a small chance of waking up here at the edge of the fog.

Exits

• At the edge of the street corner, an exposed manhole can be found. Falling down it will lead out to Level 34.
• While in the storage area of this level, one can climb on top of the storage shelf units and can eventually find an opening to an air duct. Following this air duct through to the end will cause one to fall from the ceiling and into a random location in Level 20.
• While the fog in the level is receded, a set of skid marks can be found on the road. Following them into the limits of the fog will cause the wanderer to wake up in Level 69.
• By going directly north of the corner fish and chip shop, a charity shop can be found. Entering it leads into Level 179.

Mango Gelatin.

- Credit to userunhacked for fixing various spelling issues on a copied version.