.#.#.#...#                                          ....#...##
......#...                                          #....#..##
#......#..                                          .#....#.##
##......#.                                          ..#.....#.
###......#                                          ...#......
#.##......                     #                    ....#.....
..###.....  .              .~~~~.               .   .....#....
..#.##....  . †~~   ~†#  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)                 #...#.....
#.##......                                          .#...#....
..###.....                                          ..#...#...
..#.##....                                          ...#...#..
....###...                                          ....#...#.
....#.##..                                          .....#...#