crawl-common 2:0.13.1-1 / usr / share / crawl / dat / descript / branches.txt

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Dungeon

It is still a mystery how this bizarre place was created. Some claim that it is
the playground of bored gods, whereas others maintain that it was shaped by all
kinds of species who fled the overworld and shunned the light. No matter what
its origin, this deep cavern is filled with riches unheard of as well as with
ample dangers to any intruder. Few have escaped alive, and even fewer have kept
some sliver of sanity sufficient to tell the tale.

The dungeon is 27 levels deep, but, honestly, this is only the beginning.
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Temple

A Temple of the Gods, a place of peace and refuge from the insanity of the
dungeon. It usually contains altars to most of the known gods. It is located
between the levels 4 and 7 of the main dungeon.
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Orcish Mines

The well-worked goldmines of the orcish tribes. These tortuous caverns are
filled with orcs, their humanoid labourers, and piles of their freshly mined
gold. Enterprising merchants have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs
of their auric burden. The haphazard manner in which orcs tend to dig their
mineshafts has resulted in a complex and treacherous tangle of chambers in
which it is easy to get trapped.

The Orcish Mines are four levels deep and contain the entrance to the Elven
Halls.
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Elven Halls

Whereas most elven folk would never move into a dark subterranean complex like
this, the deep elves did. Their halls are filled with riches, but any
passers-by should be aware of the legendary magical prowess of this species.

The Elven Halls are three levels deep.
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Lair

Most adventurers find the Lair of Beasts to be an exciting change of climate.
And indeed, there is something to be said about getting gored, mauled and eaten
rather than sliced, burnt or stabbed.

The Lair is eight levels deep and contains the stairs to three more branches.
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Swamp

A swampy wasteland, complete with ooze, muck, flies and large slavering
carnivorous monsters.

The Swamp is five levels deep and contains the decaying rune. A dungeon
features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If
the Swamp is present, the entrance is located between Lair:2 and Lair:5.
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Shoals

From afar you hear the steady sounds of waves and smell the salty spray. Upon
reaching the Shoals, you are impressed by exotic underground beaches, making up
a few islands in a vast sea. All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling scream fills the
air, followed by a gurgle. Anxiously, you look around and wonder: Who is the
predator? And who is the prey?

The Shoals are five levels deep and contain the barnacled rune. A dungeon
features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If
the Shoals are present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
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Snake Pit

Home of the serpent, lair of the naga.

The Snake Pit is five levels deep and contains the serpentine rune. A dungeon
features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If
the Snake Pit is present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
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Spider Nest

On the surface a spider could be despatched with the swing of a shoe. Down here
it is different. If you don't have arachnophobia already, this place, with its
crumbling, web-choked caverns, poisonous arthropods and assorted
creepy-crawlies, will give it to you.

The Spider Nest is five levels deep and contains the gossamer rune. A dungeon
features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If
the Spider Nest is present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
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Slime Pits

The amorphous realm of acids, jellies and slimes. Any trace of intelligent
beings has long been dissolved. Still, there are rumours of great treasures
deep down, hidden safely away in secret chambers without door or window for
acid to leak in. It is well known that even the walls of this horrible place
are dripping with painful acid, growing more caustic as you descend.

The Slime Pits are six levels deep and contain the slimy rune. The entry is
between Lair:6 and Lair:8.
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Vaults

Possibly constructed by some powerful madman, the Vaults are said to be home to
great treasures. The blood spattered liberally around the entrance suggests
that there is a certain amount of violence, too.

The Vaults are five levels deep and contain the silver rune, as well as the
entrances to two more branches. The entrance can be found between levels 15 and
20 of the main dungeon.
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Hall of Blades

Once upon a time, all the daggers and axes and polearms would gather at the
time of night and dance the waltz, dreaming of battlefields void of man and
beast. That time is no more, yet the weapons are still there.

The Hall of Blades is a single level and can be found between Vaults:3 and
Vaults:4.
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Crypt

A huge repository for the ancient dead. The air is chill and fetid, the walls
cold and damp. Bones are strewn liberally everywhere and the whole place
resounds with the keening of the tortured souls of the unquiet dead.

The Crypt is five levels deep. The dungeon features either the Crypt or the
Forest; if the Crypt is present, it can be found between Vaults:2 and Vaults:3,
and contains the entrance to the Tomb.
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Tomb

The Tomb of the Ancients is a place of damnation, of horrors animated by the
vilest necromancy. Honest creatures of the surface turn pale at the mere
mention of its name. The list of those who have returned from this place of
pure death is exceedingly short.

The Tomb is three levels deep and contains the golden rune. Its entry is either
on Crypt:2 or Crypt:3.
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Hell

The hallway to the four hells is guarded by Geryon. Heroes who prove their
worth in the vestibule and blow Geryon's horn may explore the different regions
of Hell: Dis, Gehenna, Cocytus and Tartarus.

Portals to the Vestibule of Hell are found abundantly in the deeper parts of
the main dungeon.
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Dis

The Iron City of Dis. Who will stand the test of iron?

Dis is seven levels deep and contains the iron rune. It can be accessed via the
Vestibule of Hell.
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Gehenna

The fires of Gehenna have burnt many a confident hero, and they will burn
evermore.

Gehenna is seven levels deep and contains the obsidian rune. It can be accessed
via the Vestibule of Hell.
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Cocytus

A grim and frost-bitten wasteland.

Cocytus is seven levels deep and contains the icy rune. It can be accessed via
the Vestibule of Hell.
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Tartarus

A decaying netherworld. Over time, the undead, demons and devils of this place
drain all life out of treasure-craving visitors.

Tartarus is seven levels deep and contains the bone rune. It can be accessed
via the Vestibule of Hell.
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Zot

A region of the dungeon that is so terrifying, so full of madness, frenzy and
lunacy, that it has been locked securely against random trespassers. Only the
most demented adventurers would dare gather the required keys, break the seal
and penetrate deeper — all in the vain hope for a fabled artefact no one has
ever laid eyes on before.

The Realm of Zot is five levels deep and can only be entered when carrying at
least three runes.
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Forest

Amongst these dark and sinister woods lie the lairs of spriggans, fauns, tengu,
and other creatures capable of bending the minds of unwilling intruders to
their will. Powerful illusory and hindering magicks are the norm, rather than
the exception.

The Enchanted Forest is five levels deep. The dungeon features either the Crypt
or the Forest; if the Forest is present, it can be found between Vaults:2 and
Vaults:3, and contains the entrance to the Tomb.
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Abyss

The Abyss is a truly bizarre place, ever-changing and twisted. It is filled
with all sorts of monsters, mostly of demonic nature, whose common aim is to
feast on intruders. It is also the garbage dump for many sorcerers, who delight
in sending would-be champions like you to these proving grounds of madness.
Reportedly, there is some structure to the chaos, as Lugonu seems to concoct
schemes around this place and its denizens.

The Abyss consists of five infinite levels. The abyssal rune can be found from
the third level onwards, and is more common at greater depths. The Abyss can be
purposefully reached through portals in the deeper levels of the main dungeon.
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Pandemonium

Pandemonium is an infinite realm of pain and suffering. While you can find a
good deal of loot there, all these treasures are guarded by demons and even
crueller demon lords. Many a hero, confusing confidence with megalomania, has
died screaming in the barrage of torment and hellfire.

Pandemonium is endless. Portals there are found abundantly in the deeper parts
of the main dungeon. Note that getting back might be more difficult.

No fewer than five runes can be found in Pandemonium:
 • a fiery rune in the well-heated realm of Cerebov
 • a glowing rune in the contaminated domain of Mnoleg
 • a magical rune guarded by the arcane powers of Lom Lobon and his minions
 • a dark rune in the shadowy abode of Gloorx Vloq
 • demonic runes exist in multiple copies, owned by less famous lords
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Ziggurat

A ziggurat is a strange tower constructed of twenty seven levels of
incrementally larger combat arenas, each containing greater wealth and even
greater danger than the last. Whatever entity created this monstrosity charges
a steep price for entry. Beware, for a ziggurat is not a place for the faint of
heart: even the bravest and most skilled adventurers have met their ends in
one. While a portal to safety will be present on every level, once left, a
ziggurat cannot be re-entered.
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Labyrinth

The Labyrinth is a large, complex maze designed by subtle and malicious minds
for reasons long lost to history. Old stories say that the labyrinth was
constructed as a prison for a fearsome minotaur. More recent stories say this
beast dwells there still, guarding the labyrinth's sole exit — as well as a
hoard of treasure taken from the bodies of the foolish adventurers who got lost
inside and starved to death. Take care inside the shifting, twisting passages
of this labyrinth, or your own possessions may end up in the minotaur's
treasure pile.
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Bazaar

While some merchants set up shop in the dungeon, others travel in caravans from
place to place. The bazaars of these intinerant traders feature a number of
different shops and often have better stock than the sedentary ones, sometimes
even at a bargain.

Also be warned that their nomadic lifestyle has taught these sellers to
appropriate any items an adventurer might leave behind, and then leave quickly,
probably to sell them elsewhere.
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Trove

Once upon a time, an enterprising thief and wizard, terrified of being caught
committing an act of burglary, created a system of portals leading into the
secret treasure troves and chambers of the rich. Too scared to loot them
himself, he instead charged an extortionate fee for entry to anyone who wanted
to rifle through them. A clever artificer, he designed his portals to direct
the entrant to the trove most suited to their needs.

The items inside this trove are likely to be useful, but beware: the wizard is
long dead, and even while alive he never offered a money-back guarantee.
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Sewer

Every inhabited place needs to dispose of its waste products. The Dungeon too
has its stinking sewers and drains, full of filthy water and ignored by most
but used as hideaways by the disgusting and the desperate. Old tales speak of
dangerous creatures stalking through the foul-smelling green water, preying on
each other without mercy. The tales also allude to valuable items accidentally
washed into the drainage tunnels, forgotten and left to grow mouldy in the damp
caverns.
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Ossuary

The Ossuary is a smallish tomb containing the remains and grave goods of some
distant relatives of the pharaohs, along with the corpses of their retainers
and household animals. It is undoubtedly riddled with many traps, and its
undead denizens are unlikely to take kindly to looting.
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Bailey

The Bailey is the still-occupied and well-guarded fortress of an orcish lord.
In it his private treasures are protected by both physical barriers and large
numbers of well armed humanoid warriors.
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Ice Cave

A desolate cavern shaped from solid ice and filled with the echoes of bestial
howls. The intricate carvings and statues which once lined its walls have been
warped and obscured by centuries of slow melting and refreezing.
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Volcano

Built from enormous blocks of obsidian, this sweltering chamber may once have
served as a temple to some strange deity, or perhaps the dwelling of a mighty
fire giant. The air shimmers with oppressive heat, and the dull roar of the
volcano's heart never ceases.
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Wizlab

In ages past, the most powerful mages — many of whom you may have heard of —
would frequently find or construct small realms sealed off from the rest of the
world, where they could isolate themselves in the pursuit of ever-greater
magical knowledge and power. The mages are long gone, but many of their arcane
laboratories still exist, filled with the results of their experiments. Those
willing to explore these laboratories may find powerful magical treasure, but
be warned: the wizards to whom these labs belonged to deserved their
reputations.
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