Catacombs
Catacombs are religious sites composed of a series of interconnected underground tombs. Often they house the skeletal remains of monks or other important figures for a religion. Fictional catacombs are often used in sword and sorcery worlds, or worlds with a slight horror element. Catacombs may feature walls of skulls, candles, altars, shrines, crypts, and relics. In game-oriented worlds they may function as game dungeons. Catacombs are home to living skeletons, reclusive monks, and spirits.
| Synonyms: underground crypts |
| Example Mythonyms: The Deep Crypts, the Family Catacombs |
| Places |
Designing Fictional Catacombs
Archetypes
Overview
Fictional catacombs are often depicted as extensive underground, labyrinthian mazes. Those that do not know the space or do not possess a map may become easily lost in their depths. When designing fictional catacombs, consider fostering a sense of claustrophobia. These narrow passageways may be jarringly interrupted by vast chambers containing altars or temples dedicated to a religion or god.
Additional Elements
| Element | Icon | Description | Sub-Elements | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altar |  | b, s | Simplified | For prayers, for sacrifices, for both? | Explore |
| Archway |  | s | An ornate stone or iron overhang | ||
| Burial Chamber |  | a, b | Who or what lies within? | ||
| Candle |  | s | Simplified | How brightly does it shine? | |
| Church |  | a, b | Simplified | A place of worship | Explore |
| Coffin |  | s | Is it empty or being used? | ||
| Corpse |  | s | Fresh or less fresh? | ||
| Crematorium |  | b | Simplified | To ashes we will return | |
| Crypt |  | a, b | Simplified | A burial chamber beneath a church or holy site | Explore |
| Cult Chamber | | a | Necromancers? | Explore | |
| Dead Graverobber | | s | Check his pockets | ||
| Fence |  | s | To surround the grounds | ||
| Ferry Boat |  | s, a | Some belief systems feature souls being ferried across a river | ||
| Flowers |  | s | What kind? | ||
| Fog |  | e | Simplified | An eerie grey mist | |
| Fountain |  | s, b | Does it still work? | Explore | |
| Fresh Grave |  | s | Who has been here? | ||
| Gargoyle |  | s | A stone carving of a monster | ||
| Giant Monument |  | b, s | Just how large is it? | Explore | |
| Grave | | s | Simplified | Has it been disturbed? | |
| Graveyard |  | a, b | Simplified | An area of buried bodies | Explore |
| Hallowed Ground |  | a | A holy or revered area | Explore | |
| Hedge |  | s | To separate areas | ||
| Hidden Passage |  | a, b | Where does it lead? | ||
| Iron Door |  | s | What does it guard? | ||
| Ivy |  | s | A tangle of vines and leaves | ||
| Mausoleum |  | a, b | Simplified | An above-ground crypt | Explore |
| Mist | | e | Eerie | ||
| Obelisk | | b, s | Simplified | A stone monument | |
| Offerings |  | s | Simplified | Food, wine, flowers, or other items left to honor the dead | |
| Open Grave |  | s | Is it empty or is something in it? | ||
| Pile of Bones |  | s | Simplified | Rest in pieces | |
| Pillar |  | s, b | A stone column | ||
| Portal |  | b | To the underworld, to hell, or to somewhere else? | Explore | |
| Pyre |  | s | A funeral blaze | ||
| Rain |  | e | Like tears | ||
| Rat Nest |  | s | You call it a nest, they call it a home. | ||
| Relic | | s | An ancient bit of bone from a prophet | Explore | |
| Roots |  | s | How extensive is the root system? | ||
| Ruins |  | b, s | Simplified | Of what type of structure? | Explore |
| Sacrifice | | s | Human? | ||
| Sanctuary | | b, s, a | Simplified | A holy, consecrated place | Explore |
| Séance Circle |  | a, s | To commune with the dead | ||
| Skeleton | | s | Does it walk? | ||
| Skull | | s | Nothing is connected to this head bone | ||
| Statue |  | b, s | Simplified | Of what? | Explore |
| Summoning Circle |  | a, s | To bring forth…something | ||
| Tomb | | b, s | Simplified | For a prince, or for a pauper? | |
| Tombstone | | s | What is written upon it? | ||
| Torch |  | s | Lit or unlit | ||
| Tree |  | s | Simplified | Willow trees are associated with death and dying | |
| Underground River |  | a | Where does it lead? | ||
| Urn |  | s | A vase of ash | ||
| Vault |  | b, a | What is inside? | ||
| Wall of Bones |  | b, s | Simplified | A wall of skulls and bones | |
| Well |  | b | Simplified | Well, well, well | Explore |