crawl-common 2:0.17.1-1 / 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.
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Temple

The Ecumenical Temple is a place of peace and refuge from the insanity of the
dungeon. It usually contains altars to most of the known gods.
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Orcish Mines

The Orcish Mines are filled with the cave orcs native to the Dungeon, their
humanoid labourers, and piles of freshly mined gold. Enterprising merchants
have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs of the latter.
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Elven Halls

The Elven Halls are home to the deep elves, a race that turned their backs on
the sun long ago. Their halls are filled with riches, but a deadly welcome
awaits any would-be robbers. In their long seclusion, the deep elves have
perfected dark sorceries of a power the orcs can only dream of!
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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 contains the entrances to one of the Swamp or the Shoals, one of the
Snake Pit or the Spider Nest, and to the Pits of Slime.
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Swamp

A swampy wasteland, the Swamp is filled with ooze, muck, flies and large
slavering carnivorous monsters.

A dungeon features only one of the Swamp and Shoals branches.
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Shoals

The exotic underground beaches of the Shoals make up a few small islands in a
seemingly endless sea. The merfolk have made it their home, alongside many
dreaded sea creatures.

A dungeon features only one of the Shoals and Swamp branches.
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Snake Pit

The corridors of the Snake Pit are home to all varieties of serpent, and are
inhabited by a society of powerful nagas and salamanders.

A dungeon features only one of the Snake Pit and Spider Nest branches.
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Spider Nest

The crumbling, web-choked caverns of the Spider Nest are packed with poisonous
arthropods and assorted creepy-crawlies.

A dungeon features only one of the Spider Nest and Snake Pit branches.
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Slime Pits

The Slime Pits are the amorphous realm of acids, jellies and slimes. Even the
walls drip with painful acid. 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.
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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.
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Crypt

The Crypt is a huge repository for the ancient dead. The air is chill and
fetid, the walls cold and damp. Bones are strewn liberally everywhere, and
every noise echoes worryingly, violating the overbearing silence of the grave.
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Tomb

The Tomb of the Ancients is a place of damnation, of horrors animated by the
vilest necromancy. The list of those who have returned from this place of pure
death is exceedingly short.
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Hell

The Vestibule of Hell is guarded by Geryon, along with various denizens of
each of the hells themselves.

Portals to the Vestibule of Hell are found abundantly in the Depths.
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Dis

The Iron City of Dis is home to many of the most resilient guardians of hell.
Those who do not belong in the halls of Dis will find the very earth itself
opposing them.
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Gehenna

Gehenna is a realm of flames, lava and hellfire. Those who linger will have
fire and brimstone rained down upon them.
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Cocytus

Cocytus is a grim and frost-bitten wasteland. Intruders will find the biting
winds and icy inhabitants of the wastes impeding their progress.
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Tartarus

Tartarus is a decaying netherworld. Over time, the undead, demons and devils of
this place drain the life from any who dare to enter.
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Zot

The Realm of Zot is 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.
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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.

Portals to the Abyss are found abundantly in the Depths.

The Abyss consists of five infinite levels. The abyssal rune of Zot can be
found from the third level onwards, and is more common at greater depths.
Portals back to the dungeon are scattered throughout the Abyss, and are found
more commonly at greater depths or while carrying the abyssal rune.
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Pandemonium

Pandemonium is an infinite realm of pain and suffering. While there are many
treasures to be found within, they are guarded by cruel demons and even
crueller demon lords.

Portals to Pandemonium are found abundantly in the Depths.

Pandemonium is endless. Each area of Pandemonium has a small chance of
containing a portal back to the dungeon, either directly or via the Abyss.

No fewer than five runes of Zot can be found in Pandemonium:
 • the fiery rune resides in the blazing realm of Cerebov
 • the glowing rune can be found in the contaminated domain of Mnoleg
 • the magical rune is guarded by the arcane powers of Lom Lobon
 • the dark rune is hidden in the shadowy abode of Gloorx Vloq
 • the demonic rune exists in multiple places, owned by less famous lords
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Ziggurat

A ziggurat is a strange tower constructed of incrementally larger combat
arenas, each containing greater wealth and even greater danger than the last.
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.

One ziggurat is guaranteed in the Depths, and further ones can be found
in Pandemonium. Each time a ziggurat is conquered by exiting it from the final
floor, subsequent ziggurats will become increasingly dangerous and lucrative.
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Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a complex, ever-shifting 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
rich hoard of treasure taken from the bodies of foolish adventurers.
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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.
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Trove

Once upon a time, an enterprising thief and wizard 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.

The items inside such troves 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 small 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.
The treasures within are protected by both physical barriers and large numbers
of well-armed humanoid warriors.
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Ice Cave

The ice cave is 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, the volcano's sweltering chambers 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 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 treasures, but be warned: any wizard
capable of constructing such a realm deserved their reputation.
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Depths

The Depths are the deepest part of the dungeon proper, subject to the
corrupting influence of the Realm of Zot without being considered a part of it.
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