The Backrooms

Even within the depths of this broken and twisted labyrinth, scarce shreds of divinity may yet be found. They are avatars — many of which walk amongst you without betraying their true nature or even their existence. Here, I intend to shed light on these mysterious beings, and demystify them.

Avatars are incredibly powerful and influential beings, so godlike in stature that many were in fact once worshipped as a pantheon of gods by ancient humans. The source of this power/influence are the Pillars, which serve as Oversouls for their respective avatars. Each avatar holds command and mastery over a particular concept, that being the one embodied by their respective Pillar. Individual avatars have the capability to alter and impact an aspect of The Backrooms itself, within their respective conceptual sphere.

Avatars exist to spread the influence of their respective concept in the mundane reality. An avatar may naturally manifest from or be directly created by a Pillar, or result from a being embodying a specific concept so strongly that they forge a connection with the Pillar of that concept. I have come to learn that I am an example of the latter, as the result of my…blessings from The Terminus. The nature of an avatar’s relationship to their Pillar can vary widely. Sometimes, they may be considered separate, with the Pillar indirectly guiding the avatar or having no involvement. Other times, the Pillar and avatar may be one and the same in consciousness, with the avatar being a direct incarnation/manifestation of the Pillar. In the latter case, every action performed by the avatar is of their oversoul's intentional will.

Yet for all their power, avatars are not entirely invincible. A part of their nature is dependent on their relationship with mortals, and with the Backrooms itself. As such, there are several ways to end an avatar's life — some of which are swift and merciful, while others are slow and agonizing. The first weakness is iron imbued with a potent enchantment, destabilizing the power that avatars command over mortals and rendering them vulnerable to a mortal death. The second weakness is being forgotten, for avatars only remain in power as long as they are known of and recognized. The third weakness is death at the hands of another avatar, for they are of equivalent power. The last weakness is to be severed from the Pillar to which they are linked, for avatars lose all their power and immortality without it.

If avatars may be considered gods, then their champions may be considered akin to demigods or the heroes of myth.

Just as avatars bridge the gap between Pillars and mortals, champions bridge the gap between mortals and avatars. They are similar in nature to avatars, though with several distinguishing features which make them less powerful or influential than the latter. Unlike avatars, champions do not share a direct connection with a concept, but rather the avatar they are linked to; although a Pillar may still indirectly influence and affect a champion through that connection. Just as an avatar draws their power from a concept, a champion draws their power from an avatar. Champions come to be when an avatar creates life in their image, or a mortal is imbued with a portion of an avatar’s essence or power. Depending on the circumstances of their creation, a champion's degree of power relative to the avatar — and even other champions of the same avatar — can vary, though it is never greater than the avatar's. Furthermore, avatars are not always aware of the existence of their champions. When an avatar is indeed aware, they may revoke the power granted to their champions on a whim as seen fit — particularly if the champion is deemed unworthy through their actions.

There is much debate over whether becoming a champion/avatar makes one greater or lesser than human, but I am afraid such philosophical discussions are beyond the scope of this writing. Perhaps in the future, I may dedicate a volume entirely to that subject.