..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
^.........                                          .........^
«^........                                          ........^«
\«^.......                     #                    .......^«\
*\«^......   .              .««««.               .  ......^«\*
&*\«^.....  . *««   «*#  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)                 .....^«\*&
#&*\«^....                                          ....^«\*&#
##&*\«^...                                          ...^«\*&##
###&*\«^..                                          ..^«\*&###
####&*\«^.                                          .^«\*&####
###&*\«^..                                          ..^«\*&###