........^-                                          -^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........^                    #                     ^.........
........^-  .              .----.               .   -^........
.......^-†  . %--   -%&  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.                 $%†-^.....
......^-†%                                          %†-^......
.......^-†  to draw from the earth around it, push  †-^.......
........^-         above ground, laundered.         -^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........    a cellar is a more senseful affair,   ..........
..........   less intense... made to store things   ..........
..........    (food or brews, tools) in a colder    ..........
.........^  environment. perhaps to grow mushrooms. ^.........
........^-  perhaps to bury corrupt creatures (not  -^........
.......^-†                 advised)                 †-^.......
......^-†%                                          %†-^......
.....^-†%$                                          $%†-^.....
....^-†%$&                                          &$%†-^....
...^-†%$&#                                          #&$%†-^...
..^-†%$&##                                          ##&$%†-^..