Level 222 - "Castellos' Museum"
A hub world for a dimension one above our own.
Originally written by 
DrBobtail, rewritten by Greggita Mahayfio does not match any existing user name!
I did the thing I said I'd never do again. I went back and recorded the conversation we had, the first direct clash with my past I've had in a long time. I know curating this museum already puts me in the reflection of my history; I've constantly seen those faces in this museum, and I know I'll see them more, but to speak to one again…
The weirdest part is I knew it was coming; I'd lived it all before. I just had no idea what the weight of the conversation was back then. I'd give anything to be how I used to be again, but to do that, I'd have to suppress what I've learned. Knowledge burnt into my brain with a dimensional iron.
No. Those carefree days are behind me. Leo Castellos is who I am.
- Safe & Secure
- Constant Friendly Presence
- Contained Threats
Level 222 is a small level, isolated from all others by conventional means and tucked into an insubstantial corner of the wider Backrooms multiverse. Once an art gallery owned by the Lost, it has spent centuries under the ownership of an immortal human and evolved into a flourishing museum.
Description
A room close to the centre of Level 222, displaying relics of Backrooms antiquity-era masonry and marble work. Much of which comes from ruined Lost settlements.
Regarded as a "domesticated level", Level 222 has been nurtured for over two thousand years for its specific educational and preservative purpose. It has a dedicated main area with three floors with special wings extending from each.
Despite being a relic in and of itself, Level 222 retains a strikingly modern appearance, assisted by its curator and owner. Through what has been interpreted as a deep understanding of Backrooms physics, Leo Castellos has been able to allow the level to evolve with the times in what is considered modern while keeping the priceless artefacts kept within its walls undamaged.
Due to being tamed, so to speak, there are none of the common migratory entities in Level 222 like Hounds, Deathmoths, and the like. The level is not entity repellent; allied Facelings and supposed Backrooms deities have been known to frequent the location, but through its domestication it is no longer a common entity hunting ground. That being said, the geometry is not free from Backrooms quirks like nonsensical geometry, skylights and windows looking out to a fake sky, infinite power and water, no external structure, and a gradually evolving appearance. Though the historical artefacts and exhibit locations move occasionally, these are actions done by the museum curator, Leo Castellos, and are not a Backrooms phenomenon.
The Centre
The balcony that encircles the centre of Level 222 on the first floor.
An 87 BCE carving of a "Confusion Devil" that was placed within the centre of Level 222 between June and July of 2019.
As early as the 1st century, a three-storey, circular chamber has been cultivated to be the centre of Level 222. Though there are other ways to reach the other floors or cross exhibit wings, as they occasionally intersect on their own, this room is the most reliable way of doing so. While there are historical artefacts within the central area, often pertaining to what exhibits are closest, the displayed objects are frequently rotated with others to give repeat visitors something new upon their arrival.
The same pamphlets and flyers used Level 222 are aplenty in the central area, stacked in rows across shelves. Like they do across the Blue Channel, some advertise Level 222 as a broad location, and others promote exhibit spaces or, rarely, specific artefacts.
If not in his own chambers or working on museum curating/maintenance, Leo Castellos himself can frequently be found greeting guests as they enter the level. Though his public appearances have diminished in the current 21st-century golden age, as during the early 2000s his clientele were almost exclusively those from Level 11's capital, he still meets, greets, and points guests to which exhibits to investigate first.
Although not confirmed, it should be noted hereon that Level 222 demonstrates qualities of a passivity effect, much like what is seen in Level 11. Despite the high prices on black markets these artefacts would garner, coupled with the lack of security, no thefts or breakages have been recorded or witnessed in the museum's 2000+ years of operation.
Floor 1
The ground floor is dedicated to historical artefacts and learning history through primary sources and is the most used floor of the three by visitors. Although detailing every exhibit would defeat the point of Castellos' Museum as a whole, noteworthy exhibits showcasing interesting or minute fragments of the Backrooms' past have been listed below as a taster of what has been curated.
A painting titled "The Suicide of En Avram Gala", painted in 1544 by a short-lived monarchy in Level 3.
Located fairly close to the entrance of Level 222, this exhibit space is dedicated to artwork across history depicting even earlier events in history. From previous aesthetics of levels to representations of historical figures, portraits, statues, and even creatively written accounts have been archives for public viewing.
Although the lines are blurred in the Backrooms more than with Earth's history, this section of Castellos' archive strays away from depicting religious events or mythological figures originating from the Daethos.
Some exhibits:
- The original, weather-beaten effigy of Tikal, the first leader (and retroactively first king) of the Lost. Tikal himself died around 955 BCE, with a marble statue erected around 350 CE outside the hospital he died at in Nua. Leo Castellos acquired it in 1312.
- A landscape illustration of the first siege of Nua by the Iron Fist during the Lost infighting, dating to around the 13th century and painted in 1795.
- A portrait of "King Amis II", from a long-dead monarchy in Level 184, named the "Coalition of New Royalty". Though ruling the level for a long 74 years, order collapsed around the nearby entrance to Level 669. King Amis II died around 1100, and the portrait was painted in 1788.
Various Iron Age artefacts from an extinct community on the outer fringes of the Backrooms. A rough interpretation of a herbalist's abode has been formed with surviving relics as it would have appeared in 660 BCE.
Due to the unique exhibits of this section, it is one of very few areas that has a fixed location within Level 222. It is a series of dioramas of various authenticity depicting the average home for the typical layman in various periods and groups throughout history. These rooms are built into the walls of the exhibit area and use materials and artefacts exclusively; no recreations or imitations.
Although the dioramas themselves are unique, the museum's curator has told many visitors and Database residents alike that some items come from his previous residences. Items such as an old cast-iron pot, a broom, a bookcase, and a second-hand copy of the Qur'an were all previously Leo's. Despite this fact, the actual fact files make no mention of his personal history with them.
Some exhibits
- A recreation of early farmhand homes from Hoofstaad in the time when the Lost was reintroducing agriculture and setting the framework for a new civilisation in a pre-scavenging Backrooms.
- A thatched campsite was used by level explorers some time around the 3rd century CE.
- A marquee that was being used by residents of Level 22 on Floor 21 around 2003. As it was damaged, a side of it has been cut open to show the cramped bunk beds and minimal storage space within.
Many rough rocks and unfinished stone statues carved by Kallias. The rocks were carved between 1367 and 1515.
While historical artwork and megalithic structures are impressive, sometimes bringing people to believe they were not made by ancient humans at all, the final products do not always portray the craftsmanship and manhours which were poured into them. For that reason, Castellos' Museum has an entire exhibit dedicated to the unused or unfinished components from famous ancient structures or the draft works of those artists and architects.
Despite bleeding into another exhibit which is given a taster on this page, the Offcuts exhibit has a small handful of modern structures that fit into the criteria, some even coming from the 21st century.
Some exhibits
- Miscut bricks discovered at the bottom of a river in Level 11, dating to the 3rd century BCE. They are believed to have come from a long-gone pyramid erected to bury the emperor of a community that was a competitor to 11's capital. These bricks seemed to have been dumped and somehow survived thousands of years of level evolution, presumably by being buried by clay and dirt deposits.
- A broken computer created by the Databse, not unlike a VT100 computer terminal. Called a "DDA2000", it is known the first batch of computers given to select people in Scene-09.9, their artificially created level, had a critical failure and had to be recalled. This DDA2000 is one of only four remaining first-batch models.
- The original sketches and beta builds of the M.E.G.'s own servers. Built accidentally from the Database's Archway OS, these prototypes were held on isolated servers in Level 120, and at an unknown time, came into Leo Castellos' ownership.
While much of Leo Castellos' personal collection displays the niche and overlooked portions of history, it would not be a complete museum without outlining the obvious parts of the past. The Unknown Enigmas exhibit does this in a peculiar way, however, as it highlights long-standing mysteries that have plagued previous generations for centuries. While some of these mysteries have been solved in the past eighty-odd years, in large part due to the globalisation of the Backrooms thanks to the Database and other contemporary groups, some still perplex us with what little fragments are left behind.
Some exhibits
- A language that appears to be an evolution of Linear A, which itself is akin to Egyptian and Mesopotamian languages. It has been found scarcely across Backrooms megalithic ruins, and while similar enough to Linear A to be recognised as such, it has not been fully deciphered. It is believed to have been used in the mid-to-late Lost Era. Babel Balm does not seem to translate it, presumably because it is an extinct language.
- The skeletons of, supposedly, two princes from the Coalition of New Royalty. After the sudden death of King Crovey III in 1090, the 13-year-old Prince Peel I was set to take the throne. However, both he and his brother (Prince Normanby II) disappeared from publicity two weeks before Prince Peel was to be crowned, and Prince Amiss II was crowned instead. The skeletons were found in 1847 during an archaeological investigation. It is unknown if they are the princes, how they died, and why.
- A clay recreation of a carving on a tree in Level 149 that read "Going centre-bound". A colony had been established in the level by the Mineless Cottages group in Level 9, and while a team returned to that level to gain more supplies, the ones who remained packed up and vanished. It is believed that the tree carving was a message for others to follow, but the meaning was lost on the away team, and the rest of history.
A scan of the iconic 21st-century photo of Level 0, which has become a staple of the Backrooms' internet and modern culture.
Though an oxymoron to some, history is constantly being made on a day-to-day basis, which is what this exhibit intends to display. Of all the exhibits, it is the one that has its pieces moved about the most, as it highlights important events from only the previous ten years. Some of these exhibit pieces are on loan from groups, either because their make is still in use or because they intend to display them themselves later down the line.
This exhibit is one of the main ways new groups of Frontborn people learn about Leo Castellos, as he directly contacts them to request artefacts, which is how it is believed he has gained many of his artefacts throughout history.
Some exhibits
- One of the narrow-gauge trams from The B.N.T.G.'s ill-fated rail network on Level 2. It was notoriously faulty, as were the rails, and the specific example on display is believed to be the one that caused the level's blackout. It is on loan from fellow museum owner Blake.
- Masks from various groups that were infrequently used when Covid-19 was brought into the Backrooms by wanderers. Though quickly dealt with by Almond Water and not requiring lockdowns like on Earth, some groups still gave out masks as a precautionary measure to follow Frontrooms practices.
- An audio recording of the first-ever EAS alert, broadcast in America on the 9th of November 2011. Perhaps due to it being the first nationwide broadcast of its kind, the warning bled into every television and speaker in every level of the Backrooms. A similar occurrence happened on the 23rd of January, 2018, when all Backrooms mobile devices received Hawaii's mistaken missile alert.
Floor 2
Unlike the unpredictable layout of the ground floor, the second storey of Leo Castellos' museum is distinctly separated into four separate wings, each fulfilling its own specific purpose. Though all but one are related to history in some way, they are not necessarily "exhibits".
A small selection of the myriad of archives held by Leo Castellos, distributed between filing cabinets, bookcases, and mobile, hand-cranked shelving.
While other organisations like the M.E.G. and Database already have vast archives and projects to further historical preservation, Leo Castellos' archive is by far the biggest known in the Backrooms. While not documenting necessarily important information, unlike the aforementioned groups, Leo Castellos has kept hold of many "useless" documents from the average person and business since he gained control of Level 222.
This area also acts as a failsafe for other archiving groups, particularly the Database due to its widespread usage across the Backrooms and, therefore, risk of invasion by humans or entities. As Level 222 is deliberately out of the way by Leo Castellos' own desires, known only to historians and tourism-enthused Capital residents, copies of many documents exist in this wing. Incidentally, this also opens many archives to the public even more than they were before under other groups.
Artwork created in 2017 by a group of Navajo in a low-density area of Level 11 specifically for this museum.
Due to having existed so long, even while only known in niche circles, the Castellos Museum has garnered a lot of recognition for its work. Because of this, Leo Castellos sometimes hunts out artwork or artists to commission to show in his museum, specifically in this wing. Less famous artists are usually acquired, as works done by the very famous reside on the ground floor, although it has been known for famous artists to make artwork as a gift for Castellos.
There is little rhyme or reason to where these works of art are held, which can make exploring this wing a challenge. Ornate marble or bronze structures can be displayed near a child's drawings or abstract painted pieces. Leo has never made a comment as to why this wing is as disorganised in comparison to the others.
Some exhibits
- A portrait of Leo done in 1776. Though the artist who did it would later come to immense fame before an untimely death in 1800, this portrait was made in the days when the artist was unknown. It has not been moved to an appropriate area.
- The very first photographs of Level 222, taken in 1858. They were given to Leo Castellos, and while digital copies are used on the flyers, the originals are held in a glass display.
- An unreleased promotional video for the establishment created by the Database in 1988. The release of the advertisement into their major bases and artificial level was vetoed at the last minute by Leo himself, who to this day, refuses to comment on his choice.
The corner of the seating area in the smallest of the four second floor wings.
By far the smallest wing of them all, the south wing of the second floor is an eatery and social hot spot, designed for people to relax between exhibits, refuel, and perhaps even meet new people. As the museum has constant low- to mid-traffic, there are only two dozen or so tables and booths in the chequered floor area, with bookshelves to read random, basic fiction and non-fiction books to pass time.
Although Leo Castellos' understanding of level evolution means that he could, the food is not created or dished out through strange Backrooms phenomena. Instead, Castellos employs a small team of workers from various groups, paying them either in their group's estimated minimum wage in their currency or in supplies, whichever the employee desires. He usually hires younger people who require places to be and experience out in the real world.
As a facsimile of a basic café, the food sold is incredibly simple. Cakes, sausage rolls, soup of the day, and sandwiches are the main foodstuffs on offer, albeit with meats and vegetables unique to corners of the Backrooms in some instances. Similar to how its employees are paid for, any currency is allowed with accurate exchange rates, or supplies can be bartered with for food instead.
Leo Castellos' many attempts at creating various sculptures made of terracotta between 1444 and 1804.
Though similar to the east wing of this floor, the west wing specifically highlights many of Leo Castellos' own works of art. As an immortal, who has over two thousand years of experience on his back, he has had plenty of time to hone in on talents. Many of the exhibits in this wing document Leo's work towards perfecting a craft, such as his early paintings, clay models or poetries. The pieces of work in this wing are at least separated by what talent Leo was trying to perfect, even if the shown-off pieces are not displayed in any kind of order.
Unique to only a few exhibits on the floor below, this wing has a plethora of audio devices to listen to Leo Castellos describe his history with the art forms he was practising. Much like how he acts with people, these are relaxed and low-energy recordings that often get side-tracked or go off-topic. Ironically, they are the most organised part of this wing.
Some Exhibits
- A nearly four-metre-long tapestry that was woven solo between 1349 and 1666, worked on as Leo Castellos jumped from monarchy to monarchy that became especially prevalent in the Backrooms during this time. The tapestry does not tell a story, per se, but is instead just a countryside that progressively gets better craftsmanship.
- The complete five drafts of a fiction story that Leo wrote between 1902 and 2010, set in 42 BCE. It followed a fictional final pharaoh who noclipped into the Backrooms at the end of the ancient Egyptian empire and his rise to forming a new Egyptian empire that reigned until when the book was first being planned, 1877. The final book can be read in Castellos' Kitchen and the Capital.
- A row of computers showing Leo Castellos' attempts at making a webpage. Although he had done work on the proto-internet made by the Database and perfected by the Database, working with the actual internet when it crossed into the Backrooms circa 1993 was a different beast altogether. Each monitor shows one incarnation of a website for his museum.
Floor 3
The uniquely designed ceiling and skylight of Level 222's central area, taken from the top step into Leo Castellos' personal quarters.
The top floor of Castellos' Museum is important only to the curator, as it is his personal quarters. Though the staircase to access it is in the central plaza, there is a locked metal gate forbidding anyone from actually accessing the rooms beyond. Even private guided tours done with research organisations do not go to this floor or the stairs which lead to them. Leo likes his privacy.
It can be presumed there are basic amenities for living behind what is publicly seen, like a living room, bedroom, kitchen, perhaps a study, and maybe hundreds of unused ancillary quarters if the third floor has an expansive layout akin to the ones below it. As the level has spent centuries being "domesticated", however, this cannot be assumed outright. It is entirely possible the top floor has been shaped to have only the rooms required for a humble life.
There are rumours of him working on entity biology and sciences up in his personal quarters, but those have not been confirmed. The rumours mainly stem from biology, particularly Backrooms historical biology, being his favourite subject. This, coupled with the floor being so close yet wholly inaccessible, has allowed rumour and myth to spiral for hundreds of years.
Leo Castellos
An artistic photographic portrait of Leo Castellos created to fill the portfolio of an up-and-coming photography studio in the M.E.G.'s Base Alpha.
Leo Castellos himself is a curious mix of a publicly facing and enigmatic individual. His first history with the Backrooms is with the Lost, dating to some 442 BCE, and although he has never given a strict date of birth, it can be presumed he was born around 472 BCE. Described by himself as "being in [his] mid-30s", he became immortal through unknown but natural means.
Ironically, records are unclear about quite when Leo came into ownership of the museum, with there being no records and Leo's memory supposedly being hazy. After rising through the ranks of the Lost, providing insight and discoveries on entity biology and architecture, he was gifted a passive art gallery level to make his own some time in 380 BCE.
It was around here that his interferences with the Lost, or indeed most other levels, diminished, and he became inseparable from his would-be museum. Artefacts were gathered, the level was progressively groomed into its current condition, and the rest is history. It is known in the early years of his isolation from the Lost that he was called to help by Thorfrid and subsequent leaders, all the way to Augustus, but eventually he was forgotten and practically exiled by the group centuries before the civil war of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Under its new governmental leadership, he has been softly reinstated as a member of their people and sometimes lets his level act as a stage for Lost meetings.
Leo himself has described himself as a "less than interesting immortal", with others describing him as "relaxed", "chilled", and "scatter-brained, but well meaning". Indeed, without meaning to come off as hurtful, Leo has repeatedly shown to be exactly that. He seldom leaves Level 222, apart from occasional visits to the Capital, the Database, and occasional antique collection across the Backrooms, and he has never once raised his voice or evicted rude guests. He is, however, known to lose track of his sentences and have a less-than-direct writing style.
Entrances And Exits
Curiously, and presumably because the level has been "domesticated", Level 222 does not have traditional entrances and exits. It is accessed only by utilising special flyers distributed by Leo across the Backrooms and is also exited the exact same way. One must simply unfurl the flyer and touch the map part with their finger, which will teleport them to the centre of the museum. When in the museum, tapping the map again will teleport oneself back home.
<Begin Recording at: 04:11>
Date: 01/06/16
Location: Level 222, first floor, the centre.
Participants: Leo Castellos.
[Though the day was young across many of the Backrooms' major communities, including Level 222, which would not see tourists for many more hours yet, Leo Castellos himself was up and active. Ever the light sleeper, he occupied his mind with needless maintenance of his establishment. Dusting, sweeping, hoovering, fussing over cobwebs that could never form, and restocking the kitchen were all tasks Leo was doing instead of resting. With a rather old brush of weathered wood and scratchy bristles, he was sweeping dust off the tiled floor, ready with cleaning fluid to rid the crevices of grime later.]
[Leo took a momentary break, resting the brush against an empty exhibit plinth. His free hands moved to the back of his hips, and he stretched his back while looking up at the distant skylight above him. He grinned to himself, ready for another day of the museum being open. As he worked his muscles, though, he seemed to notice something and stared down the eye of the camera.]
Leo Castellos: What the hell is… Oh! Did I forget to take down those cameras? Have they been rolling this whole time? It's been years…
[Leo Castellos pondered, looking back at his cleaning supplies. A ladder was among his ranks of tools, and though he took a twisting step to reach and use the thing, he stopped and shrugged carelessly.]
Leo Castellos: Oh, I'll do it later.
<Begin Recording at: 13:33>
Date: 29/05/21
Location: Level 222, first floor, the centre.
Participants: Leo Castellos, Melody Parker.
Leo Castellos: So, the M.E.G. finally want to update their page on my museum?
Melody Parker: Err, yes! Basically… Sorry, too. I know you handwrote the last version, but we're kinda cracking down on… How do I put it…
Leo Castellos: Badly written articles?
Melody Parker: I wouldn't be that mean about it.
Leo Castellos: Oh, don't worry about a thing. It wasn't my finest work. I gave up writing a decade ago, as it is. Feel free to poke anywhere you like… Apart from the third floor.
Melody Parker: Oh, wouldn't dream of it. Let's go… this way.
<Begin Recording at: 09:28>
Date: 03/03/38
Location: Level 222, first floor, the centre.
Participants: Leo Castellos, Maude Phelan.
Leo Castellos: So you said this is part of the… What was it?
Maude Phelan: Destinations Series. By the Blogrooms? I… thought I messaged you about it on the way here?
Leo Castellos: I… probably. Is there anywhere specific you wanted to see?
Maude Phelan: Anywhere and everywhere! This is less of a specific review and more of an… overall atmosphere of the place. That's what the Destinations Series is.
Leo Castellos: Right, right, right… Well, let's start with the Backrooms Tools exhibit and… work from there. Okay?
Maude Phelan: I'll go wherever you go!
