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The dome. A place of modern underground culture and art buried overtop the Groïvern. Lost amongst other tragedies of the first world war this natural cavity was fortified and used as a bunker before sinking deeper into the ground due to the instabilities of the underlying sedimentary layers. While forgotten and rendered inaccessible in the debacle of war it was very quickly uncovered, supposedly by the unnamed explorer whose grave famously lies by the Sliin.
The cathedral-sized and concrete-reinforced dome is centered in a set of radiating tunnels whose branches and further fortifications have collapsed over time. The circular hall is therefore encompassed by strong brutalist pillars that frame the large remaining alcoves of the long-gone tunnels.
While the backs of these alcoves are cluttered with military equipment that was cleared from the main room the entrances are much more noteworthy. Assembled there are collections of various minerals and artifacts from throughout the undergrounds contributed by explorers over the last decades. Amongst these well-ordered – although slightly dusty – expositions one can find all kinds of sub-surface oddities spanning both ages and continents. Mineral collections, fossils, and preserved samples of underground life as well as relics and manuscripts.
Despite the value of this ever-growing museum, the veritable treasure can be discovered by stepping back and gazing upwards at the countless inscriptions that decorate the dome itself. With the help of leftover ladders and scaffolding, countless explorers have inscribed tales, myths, and recollections brought back from their adventures on the smooth concrete surface. And while telling truth from legend can sometimes be tough it reminds us that the abyss is still an untamed land of mystery that no man yet understands.
Even further up, at the crest of the dome, some rusted ventilation ducts slowly leak the waters of the lake that formed on the surface after the collapse of the facility. Whilst the quantity of water is unimpressive it is striking by the lack of noise upon reaching ground level. In fact, the water falls right into what must have been an irrigation well in the very center of the hall. This well can of course be descended in with appropriate equipment and through a process of constant erosion from the leak above has become deep enough to reach a branch of the Groïvern below.
While being a lengthy and very wet descent the well is still a better option than the treacherous gut-like passage that I discovered in the collapsed sewers.
