..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
†~........                                          ........~†
^†~.......                    #                     .......~†^
§^†~......  .              .~~~~.               .   ......~†^§
@§^†~..... . ^~~   ~^@  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)                 ...~†^§@@#
@@§^†~....                                          ....~†^§@@
@§^†~.....                                          .....~†^§@
§^†~......                                          ......~†^§
^†~.......                                          .......~†^
†~........                                          ........~†