#...#..##.                                          ##.#.....#
##...#.##.                                          ##..#....#
.##....###                                          ###..#...#
.###...#.#                                          #.##..#...
.#.##....#                                          ..###..#..
...###...#                     #                    ..#.##..#.
...#.##...   .              .««««.               .  ....###..#
#....###.. . =««   «=#  the basement  #=«   ««== .  ....#.##..
.#...#.##.  .   «#«     .««««««««««.     «#«    .   ......###.
..#....###                     #                    ......#.##
#..#...#.#                                          ........##
##..#....#  the basement is a man-made subterranean #.......#.
###..#...#   environment where you could find such  ##........
#.##..#...   things as the furnace, the labyrinth,  ###.......
..###..#..            reptiles or graves.           #.##......
..#.##..#.                                          ..###.....
....###..#  a small or rural basement is a cellar.  ..#.##....
....#.##..                                          #...###...
......###.              «#«    .    «#«             .#..#.##..
......#.##                                          ..#...###.
........##  often created in good faith, a basement ...#..#.##
#.......#.  is nevertheless a way to bring a cave   ....#...##
##........    into your building, and cave things   .....#..#.
###....... with it. i've found that it's easier to  ......#...
#.##......   think of all caves as the same large   .......#..
..###.....    structure, it's just that all parts   ........#.
..#.##....    might not be physically connected.    .........#
#...###...      that's what you're inviting in.     ..........
.#..#.##..                                          #.........
..#...###.                 .      .                 ##........
...#..#.##            «#« . usages . «#«            .##.......
....#...##                 .      .                 .###......
.....#..#.                                          .#.##.....
......#...  the purpose of a basement is often to   ...###....
.......#..    hide unsightly appliances, engines,   ...#.##...
........#.  infrastructure (pipes and wells)... or  #....###..
.........#  to hide the true weight (purpose?) of a .#...#.##.
..........                 building.                ..#....###
#.........                                          ...#...#.#
##........  to draw from the earth around it, push  ....#....#
.##.......         above ground, laundered.         .....#...#
.###......                                          ......#...
.#.##.....    a cellar is a more senseful affair,   #......#..
...###....   less intense... made to store things   .#......#.
...#.##...    (food or brews, tools) in a colder    ..#......#
#....###.. environment. perhaps to grow mushrooms.  #..#......
.#...#.##.  perhaps to bury corrupt creatures (not  ##..#.....
..#....###                 advised)                 .##..#....
...#...#.#                                          .###..#...
....#....#                                          .#.##..#..
.....#...#                                          ...###..#.
......#...                                          ...#.##..#
#......#..                                          #....###..