The Areas · Zone B

The Sacred Grove

Ἱερὸν ἄλσος

Charcoal burners, a goddess's altar, and a road that goes down.

Chapters 2 to 4: Bread and Timber Redesigned (stump face and a story decision open)

The place

For levels 8 to 14. The Anthrakeion is the cutters' camp, with brushwood lean-tos, domed charcoal clamps, an ox-cart and an overseer's table. The Bomos of Demeter Chloe is a small temenos with a relief stele and a pomegranate tree. The Hiera Hodos leads through the deep grove past grave stelai, braziers, white cypress and a black still stream, down to the Katabasis, where Hekate Propylaia keeps the door as Pylartes, the Gate-Barrer. The dryad Blight is now a hamadryad, and every name on the signs is historical Greek.

Zone B: the Sacred Grove

Concept mockups first, then the grove as built: the Anthrakeion, the Bomos, the Hiera Hodos and the Katabasis. Open in the gallery

Concept: the Anthrakeion, the cutters' camp Concept: the Anthrakeion, the cutters' camp Concept: the Bomos of Demeter Chloe Concept: the Bomos of Demeter Chloe Concept: the Hiera Hodos through the deep grove Concept: the Hiera Hodos through the deep grove Concept: the Katabasis, the descent Concept: the Katabasis, the descent Concept: the Blight as a hamadryad Concept: the Blight as a hamadryad Concept: Pylartes, the gate-barrer Concept: Pylartes, the gate-barrer Zone B: the Blight as a hamadryad Zone B: the Blight as a hamadryad Zone B: the white cypress Zone B: the white cypress Zone B: the gorge down to the Ploutonion Zone B: the gorge down to the Ploutonion Zone B: the cutters' huts Zone B: the cutters' huts Zone B: the Bomos of Demeter Chloe, new Zone B: the Bomos of Demeter Chloe, new Zone B: the Anthrakeion, new Zone B: the Anthrakeion, new Zone B: the Katabasis, new Zone B: the Katabasis, new Zone B: the Hiera Hodos, new Zone B: the Hiera Hodos, new Zone B: Pylartes, new Zone B: Pylartes, new Zone B: the old altar, before Zone B: the old altar, before Zone B: the old camp, before Zone B: the old camp, before Zone B: the old Warden, before Zone B: the old Warden, before Zone B: Pylartes (Hekate), second version Zone B: Pylartes (Hekate), second version

Where it stands

Taken from the working to-do list for this area.

What is built

  • Anthrakeion: brushwood lean-tos with walls, two domed charcoal clamps (smoke, red glow), stacked trunk piles, an ox-cart with solid disc wheels, an overseer's table with wax tablets and coins, chopping blocks with axes.
  • Bomos of Demeter Chloe: flagstones inside a low dry-stone temenos wall, three steps, a relief stele (Demeter, Kore, Triptolemos), bowls, pinakes, a sheaf with red wool, a pomegranate tree, a well, cypress.
  • Stumps with red ribbons and clay figures; HOROS boundary stones lettered in the old Attic hand, fallen or leaning.
  • Hiera Hodos: a flagstone road through the deep grove, with grave stelai (NIKIAS, KALLIAS, KLEINIAS, STRATON) and herms, braziers, white-grey cypress (one ragged spindle mesh) and a black still stream.
  • Katabasis: a plain Doric door-frame, a shrine of Hekate Propylaia with torches, a herm of Hermes Psychopompos, pithoi of kykeon, six votive niche slabs with lamps.
  • Threshold Warden = Hekate Kleidouchos (title Pylartes, the Gate-Barrer): robe with folds, face, polos crown, key and torch. Built from primitives, so crude up close.
  • Dryad Blight as a hamadryad: warm bark, dry-leaf crown and hair, a red ribbon, a clay figure.
  • Names (display only): Anthrakeion, Bomos of Demeter Chloe, Katabasis, Pylartes.
  • Removed: glowing mushrooms, crystals, cyan rune stones, the fantasy-pack tree, the maple-like "oaks" (pines only), wooden fences (now stone walls).
  • Keres and shades checked: already a small winged clawed spirit and a pale hooded ghost; left as they are.

Still to do

  • The carved face in a stump (hamadryad's tree).
  • Erysichthon's curse as a Chapter 2 story echo (owner decision).
  • Cypress, Hekate and the huts are primitive builds: a modelled Hekate and real cypress trees would be better.
  • Oaks, holm oak, wild olive and plane trees: the forest pack only has pines now; add Attic broadleaf trees if a period-correct model is found.
  • The zone is very dark; some props are hard to see.
  • A real walk-through (not yet done by the owner or in play).

Read more

The design documents behind this area.

PDF · 1263 KB Zone B: the Sacred Grove Story, the area as built, enemies and mini-bosses, and the redesign plan. PDF · 868 KB Gemini: Zone B design guide Gemini's suggestions for the Sacred Grove.

The other areas

 

Eleusis The Rarian Plain The Gates of Plouton