Underground Trier

“	Ever heard the saying that Underground Trier is even larger than the Trier above ground?!	„
— Ramayes to Ciel Dubois on Circle of Inevitability, Chapter 110

The Underground Trier, born out of the city's expansion and the utilization of quarries for construction, became a labyrinthine network of tunnels and caverns as the population grew.

History

Trier, originally a smaller city, expanded outward and encompassed quarries that provided stone for construction. As the population grew, the city's expansion resulted in the ground becoming filled with holes and mine tunnels.

The Underground Trier was constructed during city renovations to address the chaotic and dangerous nature of the underground. In addition to the quarries, there were other factors contributing to the underground complexities of Trier. A portion of the city sank underground in the Fourth Epoch, further adding to the subterranean landscape. It served as a refuge for rioters, murderers, smugglers, and cultists. The underground quarries caused houses to crumble and sink, necessitating repairs and reinforcement.

Over the course of nearly a decade, City Hall repaired pillars, constructed foundations, and connected previously isolated quarries, subterranean ruins, catacombs, and sewers. To prevent workers from getting lost, the underground streets were named to correspond with those above during the renovations. Roads, squares, and alleys were recreated underground, with nameplates marking the streets. This facilitated future repairs by referencing the named streets.

Catacombs of Trier

Catacombs of Trier

“	Halt! The Death Empire lies ahead!	„
— Inscriptions at entrance of the catacomb on Circle of Inevitability, Chapter 115

The catacombs’ main entrance was tucked away in Place du Purgatoire, close to the Intisian observatory. The structure enclosing the entrance was supported by grand pillars, crowned by a dome adorned with intricate stone carvings, reminiscent of a miniature memorial hall or the base of an immense mausoleum.

Forty-seven years ago, due to overcrowding in Cimetière des Innocents and Cimetière des Prêtres, City Hall faced the challenge of finding a new solution for the deceased. The cemeteries were filled to capacity, with scattered white bones and an overwhelming stench causing daily protests from nearby residents.

In response, City Hall made the decision to utilize the underground space. They repurposed graves from the Fourth Epoch and adjacent underground quarries, transforming them into a vast tomb. This underground tomb provided a solution for the lack of space and allowed for the continuation of burials in a more suitable and contained environment.

Upon entering the catacombs, visitors are instructed to extinguish their lanterns and instead light white candles. According to Osta Trul, it akin to a ritual, those who descend with lit white candles invoke the protection of a hidden entity. Lumian once witnessed two teenagers extinguish their candles, they vanished inexplicably, with no one seemingly aware of their absence.

The catacombs' fourth and third levels correspond to Fourth Epoch Trier, where corruption and divine power still linger abundantly. The two levels above the catacombs correlate with the wilderness beyond the gray fog. Humans can traverse them to a certain extent, but with Vermonda Sauron lingering there, the danger rivals that of the Fourth Epoch Trier.

Samaritan Women's Spring

Sometime during the Fourth or Fifth Epoch, a distributary of the River of Eternal Darkness formed in Underground Trier in the form of the Samaritan Women's Spring. The Spring serves diverse purposes determined by its utilization, rituals, and compatibility. As a distributary, it can be used for temporarily clearing memories, healing essential damage to the spirit, improving one's spiritual perception, becoming an ingredient for important rituals, and for unlocking various abilities, among other uses. It can also be used by Beyonders of any pathway to erase all memories and feelings, becoming an entirely new person.

This was where the Blood Emperor Alista Tudor met his end.

Fourth Epoch Trier

In the Fourth Epoch, the capital of the Tudor Empire was located in present day Trier of the Intis Republic. After the War of the Four Emperors, the capital sank underground, and the current Trier was built above it.

Structure

Catacombs of Trier

The two levels above the catacombs were encircled by white bones, with corpses lining both sides of the path.

The third level featured a sacrificial square paved with mottled cobblestones. Two grayish-white pillars, one engraved with the Sun Sacred Emblem and the other with the Triangular Sacred Emblem, stood prominently. To the north of the third level lay the Krismona Night Pillar. There were ancient tomb such as Thorns and Shieldwall Tomb and the Impartial Tomb which is belonging to the Tamara Family.

The fourth level appeared wider and cleaner than the third. Here, one could find the Marianne Night Pillar and the Lius Night Pillar, along with François’s Tomb, the Blood Order Hall, and the Crazy Shrooms Cave. Additionally, there were ancient tombs belonging to members of the Fourth Epoch's Angel Families, such as Zoroast, Jacob, Abraham, Amon, Tamara, and the Blood Legion. Nestled in the depths of this level was the Samaritan Women's Spring.

Lore

The Montsouris ghost

Legend has it that an evil spirit lurks in this dark, vast underground. It always travels alone, never seeming to reach its destination. Those who encounter the Montsouris ghost either die instantly or suffer mysterious deaths along with their families within the year.

List of monsters

According to Osta Trul, there are three kinds of aquatic monsters in the underground river:

1. A drowned corpse, bloated and eerily pale.
2. Resembles a grotesquely mutated fish, standing nearly as tall as a man, covered in sturdy scales that seem impervious to harm.
3. An uncanny resemblance to strands of black hair floating atop the water, only to suddenly reach out and ensnare the unwary souls on the banks, dragging them under.

Trivia

• The catacomb was referenced from existing Catacombs of Paris in real-life.