Welcome traveler. You've no-clipped straight through reality and once
more found yourself deep in the dangerous land of the backrooms.
Today your explorations take you to level 37, commonly known as the Poolrooms.
All things considered, you really could have done worse than to end up here- much, much worse. This
level seems to consist of an infinite span of interconnected rooms all covered in white tile,
reminiscent of that which you can find in many public pools. The fact
that this level is also covered in a seemingly endless supply of lukewarm,
aquamarine water is what led to the first explorers nicknaming level 37 the Pool rooms.
The architecture here runs the gamut from long straight hallways to massive wide open rooms.
There are even stairs which lead both up and down to- you guessed it,
more pool-like rooms. The architecture varies, but the entire floor layout is
always pristine and orderly- this is a neat-freak's dream come true. Also,
every single inch of the Poolrooms is covered in varying depths of clear, aquamarine water.
Whatever this strange place's true purpose is, it's clearly not meant to be anything remotely
like an actual pool- in fact, the architecture itself makes no sense if this place was designed
as a pool. You can expect to run across plenty of pillars that rise up into the white-tiled
ceiling above you in seemingly random places, which makes it unlikely they're serving any
form of actual structural support. Whatever keeps the roof over your head from collapsing,
it's not the architecture of the place. The deep pools one can encounter also seem to not
be designed with humans in mind, as often there are no ledges where one would expect so that they
could climb in and out of the large pools of deep water. Lighting itself resembles something closer
to one of the first iterations of the Unreal engine, often shining out in strange angles
that make no sense- also, light sources don't seem to be present. The light simply
'is'. This chaotic lighting scheme leaves many parts of the Poolrooms cast in darkness.
Stairs seem to descend down into the watery depths, which while clear,
can be dark either due to the extreme depth or because of the chaotic lighting. This gives the
impression that these levels weren't always flooded, after all why would stairs exist if
they only lead to deep pools of water? Other times though you may encounter deep tunnels
that go straight down into unknown depths. Much like with cave diving, it's highly recommended
that you don't attempt to explore these areas without proper equipment and a lot of training.
There's simply no telling what lurks below, and the terrain has never been properly mapped out. If
you get stuck in a twisting watery maze, nobody is coming to get you or refill your oxygen canister.
The water contains other mysteries as well though. No matter where in the Poolrooms you travel,
the water stays consistently a very pleasant lukewarm. Water temperature seems to be
completely unaffected by location, lighting, or even depth- even the deepest shaft of water, which
should get rapidly chillier and chillier, remains lukewarm all the way to its mysterious depths.
Chemical analysis by field teams has also discovered that the water itself contains
a high concentration of Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate. This is the same type
of soothing muscle relaxant that you might pour into a bath here on this side of the backrooms,
and helps soothe sore and tired muscles as well as headaches. But the water in the Poolrooms
is more relaxing than normal, as additional unidentified compounds have been discovered
in it which are hypothesized to add to the relaxation effect of the Poolrooms water.
These strange waters don't just soothe sore muscles and tired minds, they can even numb
away the pain of injuries or chronic illness as long as one remains soaked in the healing waters.
The water in the Poolrooms seems to be in a constant state of gentle rippling,
which in particularly large rooms can be rather hypnotic and even add to the soothing relaxing
effect of the mysterious water. Yet there are no breezes inside the Poolrooms and to date
no seismic activity has ever been detected. This leaves the source of the gentle rippling notion-
like one might find on a calm day in a backyard pool- a mystery to explorers. Some have theorized
that the Poolrooms are vast enough to actually have a natural tidal effect- though this would
require a transient source of gravity somewhere above, below, or around the Poolrooms themselves
to gently tug on the water, much like our moon creates tides here on earth. Perhaps the mass
of backroom levels directly before and after the Poolrooms act like said gravity source,
which would imply that the backrooms are still subject at some level to the basic laws
of physics- despite blatant violations of said laws observed on other levels. Another theory is
that the Poolrooms are a sealed environment and such a large mass, like perhaps a large moon,
does in fact exist somewhere in orbit above whatever terrestrial body- if any exists- that
the Poolrooms are built on. It's also possible that the poolrooms aren't sealed off at all to
the rest of this world, as they are so vast that nobody has had the time to fully map them out yet.
Then again, the rippling may simply be an inherent component of the Poolrooms themselves,
existing without explanation other than it simply adds to the soothing
relaxation effect the mysterious water seems to have on visitors.
Your sense of hearing may not work as you're used to here in the Poolrooms,
and you should be prepared. Sound is subject to very weird effects on level 37,
and seems to drop off rather quickly producing no echo or very little when one would be expected.
If traveling here with friends, you may find that you have to remain rather close together
in order to still hear each other, as even a distance of a few dozen feet is enough in
some locations to make normal conversational voices too muted to hear. It's believed that
the water itself is acting as some sort of sound dampening force, and once more this may be part of
the water's apparent purpose- which may be to project a peaceful, calming atmosphere.
However, the reverse can also be true here, and sound may be much louder than you expect. In rare
places inside the Poolrooms, you may stumble into areas where the gently rippling water
becomes loud and cacophonous, to the point that not even yelling will allow for effective
communication. The water itself is unchanged, and instead it seems to be that the gently rippling
sound of the water is what becomes greatly magnified, drowning out all other sound.
Research is ongoing as to what causes both of these strange phenomenons,
though it's theorized that the effect may actually stem from the visiting wanderer themselves,
with those living more troubled, tumultuous lives somehow projecting
that chaotic energy into the water around them and causing it to become very loud.
While you may have come to expect many dangerous entities in the backrooms and
probably came prepared, you can relax your guard here as there is yet to be
any hostile entity recorded inhabiting the Poolrooms. This is not to say that none exist,
simply that even after years of exploration, none has been discovered yet. As of now,
the Poolrooms are marked as safe, with no hostile entities- though it should be remembered that
exploration is ongoing and the level may simply be so large that the probability of running into
any entity is close to zero. Also, one should be wary of the areas of deep water- hostile
entities could very well lurk in the depths of level 37, and simply have evaded discovery by
virtue that very few wanderers to visit have ever had the equipment necessary to brave the depths.
Deep water here however poses another serious hazard. While the vast majority of the water
in the Poolrooms is perfectly safe, and even drinkable if one wishes- though it does have
a bit of a weird taste- one shouldn't be lulled into complacency by the appearance
of the Poolrooms to an actual pool. Unlike a real pool, level 37 is not treated with
bacteria and fungi destroying chlorine, which means that microorganisms are free to grow here.
Strangely, despite the travels of wanderers through the Poolrooms, who no doubt bring
plenty of visiting germs of their own, it seems as if no microorganisms from outside of the Poolrooms
are capable of colonizing these vast bodies of water. However, a native bacterium known as the
Hydrolitis Plague is known to thrive in the deep, dark waters, and is a serious hazard to visitors.
Infection is primarily via airborne ingestion of the bacterium, which seems to point at a
bacterium which has multiple life stages or an unknown means of becoming airborne. However,
a wanderer can also become infected by drinking waters containing the bacterium. Once infected, an
individual can easily infect others via coughing, sneezing, or even simply exhaling large quantities
of the airborne bacteria from inside of their lungs. Thankfully the disease is not particularly
deadly unless one already has a weakened immune system, however those who fall ill can expect
to experience fatigue, high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and delirium for those with very
bad infections, combining mental confusion with both audio and visual hallucinations.
Level 37 is simply not suitable for habitation, and thus spread of the disease by wanderers
to others is not a major concern. The lack of suitable building materials or even dry areas, and
the random architecture and ever-present moisture is simply not conducive to the establishment
of any kind of outpost. The poolrooms also seem to lack any resources worth exploiting,
other than vast amounts of drinkable water which should still be treated for Hydrolitis plague.
A recovered note by S.R. Cunningham expresses his belief that the Poolrooms are not a physical place
at all, but rather are a construct of one's own mind. As a wanderer moves through the Poolrooms,
additional rooms are created in the direction of their travel, and often reflect the state of
one's own emotions. This means that technically the poolrooms are both infinite and not- as if
one aimlessly wanders they could very well wander for eternity, or at least until their food lasts.
However, perhaps if one were to have enough mental control, they could force a hard end to
the seemingly infinite Poolrooms. What one might discover there is unknown, and it might simply be
an exit that leads to an even deeper, and as-yet unexplored corner of the backrooms.
The Poolrooms have multiple entrances and exits. Exploring underwater in Level 7, Thalassophobia,
can perhaps unsurprisingly lead one into the Poolrooms. Following the creaking stairways down
in Level -132 can also lead one to the Poolrooms, and might be a relief given the inherent dangers
of Level -132. Tunnels in Level 67, which resembles an abandoned indoor water park, can
also lead directly to Level 37, and the transition is so seamless that most visitors don't realize it
initially. Pools, especially those lined with tile, can also be no-clipped in the reality
warping Level 997 to lead one straight to the Poolrooms. Level 30, a massive building consisting
of interconnected indoor pools, can also lead to the Poolrooms, though only through the Quaoar and
Haumea areas of the level. Interestingly, the Hydrolitis plauge is also present in Level 30.
Alternatively, one can also find multiple exits in Level 37. The most common is an exit
to Level 37.1, which can happen seamlessly for a traveler who isn't paying attention and exploring
the darker areas of Level 37. Level 37.1 is significantly more hazardous than Level 37,
which seems to have no hazards other than infection by the Hydrolitis plague
and the danger of drowning if exploring too deep below the water. This level is dark and dimly lit,
again by unknown light sources which seem to shine through cracks and holes in the walls.
Other areas however are pitch black, and the water here is a much darker, murkier
deep green-blue. Unlike level 37, level 37.1 does contain a native population of Facelings,
which vary in hostility. The environment here is also very confusing and disorienting, and follows
a non-Euclidian nature. It is not recommended one explore Level 37.1 alone or for very long,
as even if they did recording devices seem to simply not work here and any discoveries made
are likely to be lost or forgotten.
Submerging oneself into the waters of Level 37 can rarely cause one to reemerge inside
pools of level -33 and -34. Level -33 resembles a massive hotel that is filled with indoor pools,
and the water here may be extracted or fed directly from Level 37 as wanderers
report it has healing properties. These properties however are greatly enhanced,
and a dip in these pools can even cure extreme cases of mental illness such as insanity.
Level -34 however is far more dangerous,
and consists of three different zones. Zone 1 is considered safe and secure,
and contains large crystal clear pools- though unlike level 37, the water here
is treated with chlorine and other chemicals to keep it clean and free of microorganisms.
Zone 2, instead has large pools of greenish water, and the ambient light is much darker.
Dampness and mold pervades the walls of this area and the water should be
avoided at all costs. Numerous entities also spawn and wander through here.
Entering through a black iron door in Zone 2 can lead to Zone 3. This area is pitch black
and full of brackish waters. The zone is also infested with various entities
and it's extremely recommended that one avoid it at all costs.
Occasionally, wandering down the long hallways of the Poolrooms however can lead to one accidentally
traveling into one of the shower blocks of Level 4242. This level is a labyrinthe
mess of tiled halls and public showers, and is considered a moderate risk for explorers.
Lastly, just like entering submerged areas in Level 67 and Level -132 can lead to Level 37,
entering submerged areas of Level 37 can also lead back to both levels.
Now go check out How to Beat the Backrooms Levels 0 through 2, or click this other video instead!