I've always had a fascination with the idea that an overabundance of negative emotion can taint a place or object, such as in the case of the swords made by the mythological Muramasa school of bladesmithing.

I took that idea and blended it with the fantasy trope of a place strong with evil power used as a place to teach about the danger of that power. Take the cave on Dagobah for example, Yoda uses the cave as a way to teach Luke about the dangers of the dark side of the Force.

However, I feel the inverse of that concept is something that is rarely used in horror media, a place of learning; a setting of peaceful contemplation and valiant pursuits becoming warped and corrupted over time, and eventually becoming an abode for a powerful evil.

art ©:  freya-darkfire