Object number: 36
Description:
Photo of an unused Spirit Link, currently sitting in M.E.G. possession for study
Spirit links are small hats that can be found in The Quartz Quadrant, a mysterious section of the Blue Channel that is home to Entity 600. The hats are very small, being around the size of an average human palm. Spirit Links always have a very powerful gem in the middle of the hat which causes the hat to work. Without the gems, the hats are useless. The gems resemble small, galaxy-colored nebulas. The gems display a small fractal design that moves similarly to a tornado. The gems should not be taken out of the hats, as they cannot be reunited. If the gem is separated from the hat, both objects become useless, and the gem will turn into a black rock.
Notably, Spirit Links appear to only function properly on The Saberzoa. When placed on any other living creature, the effects are extremely unpredictable. The first time that one of the hats was placed on a human, it caused their eyes to glow and then explode. Another test resulted in the person growing 6 extra eyeballs. Another test resulted in the person regressing into a vegetative state. One wanderer described himself placing one on a Skin-Stealer in a desperate act of self defense. This caused the Skin-Stealer to become paralyzed; however, it was suddenly able to speak English fluently. None of these effects have been successfully reversed. Other tests include a Hound bursting into flames, a Growler suddenly moving in inverted gravity, and — notably — a lack of any result when tested on a Wormling. Certain higher-up operatives have proposed trying to use the objects as a source of renewable energy. The Oversight Council has prohibited this for the time being due to their nature.
Spirit links usually take the form of various different types of hats, ranging from top hats to berets to baseball caps. The gem itself feels and weighs like a typical jewel of that size, being slightly heavy but pretty balanced in weight. The gems and hats are also likely indestructible and cannot be destroyed with any amount of force if powered. Gems which have been separated from the hats lose this ability and can be easily destroyed, along with the hat. The gems are also incredibly difficult to remove from the Spirit Links, requiring usage of powerful industrial machinery to extract. It is unknown exactly why this is, since the gems simply rest on the hat itself rather than in a small nook.
The hats themselves have no specific locations or common areas where they can be found. They have been found on every level from Level 3 to The Metro to even TH3 SH4DY GR3Y. How these hats got to these places is not known, but it can be assumed that it is connected to The Blue Channel in some way, since The Saberzoa live in a unique spot of said level. Much concern has been raised by the M.E.G. wondering if the hats were ethical or not. Many higher-ups feared that the hats were actually some sort of mind-controlling device, and the object was nearly banned in settled areas such as Level 11. After further study of the entities, it was realized that Spirit Links do not alter the mental state of the entity. It only acts similar to how a mood necklace would, expressing the emotion of the entity and giving it the ability to speak through telepathy. Many people describe the entity as having a cute, baby-like voice, but the exact desciption varies slightly.
A piece of pottery presumably depicting an ancient Saberzoa.
Excluding its obvious connection to Entity 600, the object has been found in recovered documents and artifacts from The Lost. Depicted on the right is an ancient piece of pottery which presumably depicts The Saberzoa before they were separated from their supply Spirit Links. Others have proposed that this depicts The Broodmother. A noteworthy feature is that rather than being attached to a hat, the gem is attached directly to the forehead. It is unknown if this is an error, an artistic liberty, or perhaps a clue to the origin of these mysterious objects. Other old writings and letters describe sea creatures of unfathomable pulchritude and magical powers. Many of the documents detail these creatures as gods or angels. Certain living members of The Lost can recite passed down tales which describe their aquatic gods, but the connection to The Saberzoa — if it exists — has been lost to time. Many members of the group have been more than willing to aid The M.E.G. in piecing together these loose bits of information.
Properties:
Spirit Links have a strange effect that causes them to change colors. When unused, they are grey and colorless. Extended periods of time can even cause the area around the object to turn slightly grey. Spirit Links can be placed on the head of a wild Saberzoa for the hat to activate. The hat will begin to act in a similar way to a mood necklace, with the color of the hat changing according to the mood of the entity. Below is a set of observations supplied by a member of The Lost named Caedmal Tun’s extensive study of the entity.
For many moons I have wandered this treacherous realm in near-constant fear for my life. The unholy beasts I have witnessed and the nightmarish environment through which we wander have lost me many nights of sleep. Throughout all of this, though, I have found a light in the darkness that is never quenched. Adorable creatures which you know as “The Saberzoa” have given me a sense of joy I have not known for a very long time. While this is the name you all know them by, they have been identified by many before you, all with their own systems of nomenclature, most notably “Narcomeba” and “Cartavela.” My first encounter with these fascinating creatures happened a couple years ago. I was visiting The Arabian Desert when I noticed the most peculiar thing: a little jellyfish was dying of dehydration on a rock. I immediately gave the creature my last supply of water and carried it for much distance until I found refuge. Within this refuge was a straw hat with a magical gem in the center. The Jellyfish attempted to escape my hands to put the hat on, which I aided it in doing. The Jellyfish suddenly gained the ability of communication and helped me find a way out to a safe haven. It has not left my side since we left. Since then, I have found many more instances of these animals and studied their appearance, ways of life, and intelligence extensively. I hope that my research will be beneficial to your group, and that maybe one day we will finally understand the tragedy that befell these innocent creatures and reunite them with their rightful treasures.
- Best, Caedmal Tun.
| Color | Emotion | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Anger | According to Caedmal's observations, the color red seems to appear on the hat when the Saberzoa experiences anger. This is rare, as the entities are known for their happiness, but he records watching one of them sting the other and the stung Saberzoa becoming irritated. The hat turned red as the stung jellyfish scolded the other, before he broke up the conflict. |
| Pink | Happiness | Pink has been documented as the color of happiness. The Spirit Links almost always show up as pink when the Saberzoa are around. Caedmal describes the pink becoming extremely vibrant whenever he arrived to check up on them. He also documented the happy, joyful voices that they had whenever the hats were pink. |
| Blue | Sadness | Blue is also a rare color that does not appear on the Spirit Links very often. Caedmal documents an interaction where one of the Saberzoa asked to go to Level Fun, being unaware of what the level actually was. After he did not let the entity leave go to the level, the color of the hat began to fade into a royal blue color. The jellyfish showed extreme sadness, still wanting to join the alleged party, and walked off into the Cygnus Archive. |
| Yellow | Fear | This color is slightly more common than red and blue, but still doesn't show up too often. Caedmal describes a stray wanderer walking around Level 222 while he was visiting as Leo showed them around. A Saberzoa floated by, accidentally stinging them. This caused the wanderer to become angry at the creature, which began to act fearful. After he calmed down the wanderer, he recorded the event in his book. |
| Purple | Excited | Purple is another common color, which is usually the color of the hat if it isn't yellow. Caedmal describes the Spirit Link becoming a purple hue whenever he would reward them with biscuits as a treat. The jellyfish would act extremely giddy whenever the hat turned purple as well, further proving this hypothesis. |
| Green | Disgust | Green is nowhere near as rare as blue or red, but still does not show up commonly. This color was discovered when Caedmal told a group of Saberzoa a story about finding a dead body on Level 3. This story caused all of the Saberzoa to yell out in shock. Most of their hats flashed green. Caedmal connected this to the emotion of disgust. |
So far, these colors are the only documented ones, but there are presumed to be many more.
Spirit Links also have a property that give Saberzoa the ability to speak through telepathic messages. Wild Saberzoa, similar to normal jellyfish, have no ability to speak. However, once a hat is placed on their head, they can now send telepathic messages to any nearby wanderer as a way of speaking. It is presumed that the gem is what gives the creatures their telepathic abilities, but due to gems being difficult to separate from the Spirit Links — and unable to be placed back — this is not confirmed.
Rarity
As previously mentioned, there is no specific level of The Backrooms which Spirit Links are confined to. While the objects are not nearly as rare as something like a Level Key, for example, they are not a common item to find. Notably, however, they are most commonly found on Level 3. It can be presumed that this is due to the level’s notorious abundance of useful items, including rare ones. If one wants to actively look for a Spirit Link, it is advised to look on a safe level that is not infinite in length. This will provide the highest chance of finding one due to the small space and lack of external issues preventing the task.
Addendum
Caedmal Tun has personally offered a reward of 10 Royal Rations to the person that either finds/provides information which leads to the discovery of the event that separated The Saberzoa from their Spirit Links. He personally asked that this addendum be attached to this page. The M.E.G. has also begun aiding Caedmal in his quest to hopefully learn the truth about these creatures that’s been seemingly lost to history and perhaps one day, restore their former glory.