Villars Cave
Grotte de Villars
When you die, your cat will appear beside you. "Come along," it will say. "Follow me." Thus begins a long and arduous journey over land, passing unseen along great highways of the dead. If you live in western Europe, there is a good chance this final journey will end at Villars Cave.
This cave, located in the Dordogne region of France, is the primary entrance to the afterlife in western Europe. Although nearby caves contain traces of human habitation from at least 17,000 years ago, this cave has always remained empty. Not only is it forbidden by French law (as is the case in most other countries that contain an afterlife gate), but it is also taboo. This place belongs to the dead; wandering in to explore while still alive is insulting.
Geography
Villars Cave is location around 2 miles northeast of the city of Villars. At the entrance, the cave is about 885 feet above sea level. It is a karstic cave, filled with stalagmites and stalactites made from dripping limestone that extend at least 8 miles under the surface. An underground river flowing through hollowed impressive galleries connected by long chambers. It has two entrances from the surface.
Fauna & Flora
The cave's most notable residents are the Elevated Bats, a type of intelligent bat capable of human speech. The folk tale The Bat Children of Villars provides an explanation for the intelligent bats, but in recent decades, alzamatrists have provided an alternate explanation: living in such close proximity to the huge amounts of vesanmer that constantly flow into the cave has altered the native bats' minds and gifted them enhanced understanding.
Type
Cave
Owning Organization
