An (In)Compleat Atlas of the House

Gates and Tunnel

A line of mountains forms one wall of the House, and acts as a buttress against the Nothing beyond. In the mountains there is an arched tunnel, seven miles long, two miles wide and half a mile high, blocked by four enormous gates. This tunnel is the place where a controlled number of Nithlings can enter the Great Maze in the House, to provide training and support for the Glorious Army of the Architect.

The four gates in the tunnel are the Goldgate, Silvergate, Bronzegate and Cleargate – this last is purely Immaterial and entirely translucent, except for a shimmering that is painful to the eyes.

There is a rule that all four gates must never be open at the same time. The gates are opened and shut by means of giant clockwork gears that are wound by subterranean rivers within the mountain walls.