Souterrain ("soo-ter-ain")

Souterrains are a common structure found all over the island of Britainnia. They are typically used for the storage and preservation of foodstuffs throughout the year. Traditionally they are dark underground structures built into the ground by excavating a suitable area, constructing a long low curving passage of stone walls with small cramped chambers leading off the passage. During the harsh winter months ice is collected from the surface of nearby freshwater lochs frozen in the grip of winter. The ice is brought to the souterrain and stowed away deep in the dark chamber until the souterrain is full to the ceiling with ice. Due to the darkness and the ambient temperatures afforded by building underground the ice remains frozen all year round providing the perfect conditions for the preservation of meats. These soutterains are often positioned away from the main settlement, partly due to more favourable ground conditions and by means of making them harder to locate those who seek to raid the settlement and make off with all that was stowed away for winter. Due to being built underground and the doorway often camouflaged by bushes or covered with divides these soutterains often remain a secret only known by members of the clans they belong to.
Though the preservation of foodstuffs is a fundamental requirement of survival for all tribes, perhaps moreso for those northern clans such as the @smertae whom survive on the hunting of game and wild beasts. For this reason the souterrain can be found in abundance in those regions bordering the untamed hinterlands. 
Though the soutterain might seem an unremarkable and mundane building for the storage of food it is in fact at the centre of a remarkable mystery in the sacred initiation of the druids. A myth from times of yore forms the origin of the druid practice of rebirth. According to myth a pair of twins were sent by their father to go on the hunt for boar and to make store of it in the soutterain. Their father was cheif of the clan but was advanced in years, it wasn't going to be long until his time if passing and the twins were at odds about who might gain the greater part of the inheritance. The firstborn of the twins was born without speech and the younger of them was a fit and wise young man, although by tradition the elder of the pair had by birthright the cheifdom of their lands, the younger of the pair thought it only right that the cheifdom should fall to him as his brother had not the power of speech. It came about that upon setting out on the hunt  they came by the soutterain, here they began to quarrel over their birthright when they fell to blows with one another, the younger of the pair got the better of his brother and knocked him unconscious with his club. Losing no time he dragged his limp body into the soutterain and shut him up in there by bracing the door with a large stone. Then he went off on the hunt on his own thinking that he would return from the hunt successful and gain his father's favour.  
The elder brother awoke in complete darkness, without the powers of speech he could not call for help, he tried to force his way out the door to no avail, then he tried to dig his way through the walls until his fingertips bled, the first day was spent in panic. Only the second day thirst set in and then hunger. On the third day delirium starts, eventually parched and hungry he gave in to the darkness and the silence. Herein lies the mystery of the druids initiation, in the darkness the soul is either lost and the person goes mad or something is revealed that cannot be obtained in the light of day. One must be consumed by the darkness and the silence, one must give up resistance and at the point of greatest weakness comes a strength from outwith. the darkness is replaced by the light of consciousness from within and the mind becomes full of colourful visions and voices. These visions persist for some time, many people go mad and scream with terror believing the visions to be real, others lie still and let the visions run their course in the knowledge that these apparitions are not real. Somewhere in the depth of the visions the initiate undergoes a spiritual awakening and rebirth of the soul embued with knowledge from outwith. 
After five days trapped in the soutterain the younger twin had succumbed to the darkness and his soul was reborn, suddenly he realised that he had not lost mind and he cried out for help, although up until this point he was without the power of speech, to in the darkness his speech was restored and his mother heard his voice crying out from the soutterain. Arriving at the soutterain she cast aside the stone blocking the door setting the younger sibling free. When he emerged his hair had went from dark brown to white. His mother brought him to his father whereby he recounted the story of how his twin brother had shut him away in the soutterain through jealousy of his birthright and how in the darkness colourful visions had filled his mind. 
When his younger brother arrived back home carrying a boar on his shoulder he was shocked to see his twin brother sitting there round the hearth with his father awaiting his arrival. He spoke only to thank him for his actions had set in motion the great revelation from the darkness and restored his powers of speech. Though their father poured scorn upon the younger twin and banished him from his hearth. 
This is the tale the druids recount about the origin of the revelation of darkness. It is the final initiation of all druids to be locked away in the darkness of a soutterain, many go mad, only those that do not emerge enlightened and go on to attain the ordained title of druid.  That much so with regards to the restorative and revelationary properties attributed to the darkness of the soutterain..

Type

Room, Storage, Freezer