They were poisonous too, or so I heard. I never stuck around to find that out first-hand, though.

[A faint rustling of cloth, as if he's shrugging or shifting position.]

No one trapped in that place could remember anything about their past, not even their names. There were crystals floating around that would restore a single memory, part-way. Usually most of the senses were blunted--you could see but not hear, or smell but not touch. And then... you'd get a punishment for that.

Most people took the risk, that the memory would be worth the punishment.