I'm having some difficulties describing an entrance to an area. I'm going to post the segment in question, but all I'm really asking for is help replacing the term 'causeway', because it's been brought to my attention that the word does not fit the thing it's referring to. Spoiler The four of us were set up just within sight of the (Primordial) Causeway’s entrance, arguably the most spectacular spot on the route. The entrance was a grand thing, fifty feet tall if it was an inch. Made of a natural red stone, the grand building guarded the way to the point where the Godsplane intersected with the mortal dimension. It was called a parade, but it was a solemn, religious affair that kept even the massive crowds that the centennial sun-cycle drew quiet. Giant risers were built all along the route so that everyone could see the gods’ glory as the high priests and their attendant priests passed. Our seats were just outside the city, and the remainder of the road to the Causeway was a long road empty of anything besides the stands that surrounded it now. Beyond the Causeway was a forest, believed to be sacred. I tried googling 'types of entrances', but couldn't find anything remotely like what I needed. A causeway is apparently a 'raised road or track across low or wet ground', not 'a large stone doorway into a tunnel', or 'a tunnel with a large stone doorway at its head' like I thought. What I have is a giant doorway made of 'magic' stone, that leads to a tunnel into the depths of the earth. What are some words I can use to describe that doorway or that tunnel? The forest is largely irrelevant in this question, but I'm open to ideas. EDIT: because tags are hard
See if any of these work? Maybe threshold would be good, or for something a bit religious in nature, lychgate.
Something with a slight ominous feel to it, like the 'threshold' suggestion might work well. You seem to already be trying something like that with 'the Causeway'. 'The Threshold' or 'The Precipice', something more symbolic and ominous in meaning, like what I feel you're getting at with 'causeway'. Causeway does sound a little silly, simply because when I think of a causeway, I think of something like a bridge or whatever. There's also the suggestion of Lychgate which sounds cool and has a religious connotation, even if it's supposed to specifically mean the entrance to a graveyard. It could also be something very simple, like 'The Passage'.
I feel silly, having forgotten that thesauruses are a thing. Thanks, Izzy. I realize now that the passage I posted is missing 'Primordial'. It's the 'Primordial Causeway', on account of it leading to the spot that is speculated to be the point from which the universe was created. But yeah, I'm definitely going for something mysterious, if not outright foreboding or ominous. I'll think about your suggestions.
How do you guys feel about the Eternal Promenade? Or does that still imply something above-ground to you?
Eternal Promenade sounds ... familiar, actually? But nothing comes up when I google it, so I guess it just has that sound. Seems like a good sign! Doesn't imply above ground to me.
I feel like Primordial Promenade gives it an alliterative feel that is counter to the mystery and ominousness that Primordial Causeway was aiming for; Eternal Promenade is the next best thing, in my mind.
Do promenades run alongside a water's edge whereas a causeway extends out over body of water? Just for my education. There's also esplanade if you want to add that to the mix. I pictured (in your original post) a gateway. Yes, gateway's valid (I'm sure it doesn't require and actual gate). My proposal then would be: just within sight of the venerated gateway/revered gateway. Primordial minds me of swampy, muddy soup unfortunately, and the eternal part of the promenade I'm thinking may be a bit ambiguous as eternal could count for distance as well as time—like the promenade stretched on forever.
Promenade reminds me too much of the verb, which would make the Eternal Promenade a group of people walking past in showy clothes forever and ever. That fits with this bit: but I'm not seeing an entrance being referred to as a promenade. Portal? It is an entrance to Godsplane, so that makes some sense. The thing is, I can see the entrance you're describing, but you're right, the wording is tricky.
Sorry about any confusion, SethLoki. It's called the Primordial Causeway because it leads to the place where the Primordial Temple is--the temple to the Primordial Mother, or the is-was-will-be goddess who created reality as we know it from the previous nothing that was there. The gate itself leads to a passage that goes underground to that temple. I do suppose you're right about the ambiguity of 'eternal', though. In my head, 'causeway' was a passage, a closed hallway or tunnel leading somewhere (not necessarily above or below ground), irrelevant of any water or earth that might have been nearby. I realized at some point this definition is incorrect; thus, the confusion. Iain, there's no entrance in that sentence because by that point he's talking about the parade of priests, not the (formerly known as) Causeway itself. (have I misunderstood your sentence or does that clear that up?) I did look up 'promenade', though, and apparently, it doesn't mean what I thought it meant, either. And here I thought I was good at vocab words. Eternal Promenade would be the name of the gate and tunnel; in my head, I've never connected 'promenade' to 'a group of people walking', but I seem to be wrong about that. My issue with 'gateway' is that it felt too...pedestrian, too mundane for The Gate to End All Gates, the Entrance To The Most Important Spot In The Universe. I was trying to aim for something with a bit of pomp, a bit of mystery, ominousness, to match the importance of the Primordial Temple and the gate and tunnel that lead to it. I might just have to suck it up and call it the Primordial Gateway, though, since I keep being just wrong enough about what words mean >_< lol
The actual doorway itself or the passageway beyond? Is it a large door leading on to some kind of processional way? Your misunderstanding of 'causeway' may have stemmed from overhearing it used in relation to Egyptian temples which sometimes did have such a feature leading to the entrance? If the door does look faintly Egyptian then it might be worthwhile to note that the large trapezoid structures through which one enters their temples are called 'pylons' (the term is also used for the main entrance to Catholic cathedrals, I believe, in cases where it is flanked by towers), so there's some alliteration with a Primordial Pylon.
So it's Friday, and I've only just now realized I never responded to Privateer. Yes, that's precisely where my confusion comes from, friend. I was really big on Egyptian mythology and architecture when I was younger, although I'm much less so these days. I'm more intimately familiar with Greek mythology, but I definitely went through an Egyptian phase. Are they really called pylons, though? I've never heard that. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just surprised by that. I've only ever heard pylon used to describe the things that hold a dock up in the water; and somethingsomething Starcraft. I looked up Egyptian pylons, and that's not the architecture I had in mind. I'll probably just end up calling it the Primordial Gateway, and let the ominousness come from the gateway itself rather than the name. Giant stone doors can be pretty intimidating. Thanks for all the suggestions and help, guys.
"Promenade" is used to describe walkways, it's not just a verb (in fact I believe promenade was a noun before it was a verb but don't quote me on this). If you ask me, 'Eternal Promenade' sounds a little hokey, but promenade itself is a good word. You should mix other adjectives to it.
