The Dungeons of the Ancients

The Illirian continent is dotted with crumbling structures commonly referred to as Dungeons. Some of these are natural ruins, the result of abandoned castles and cities and otherwise just old buildings, or natural caves of interest. Most, however, are magical in nature and generally unexplainable. The dungeons have existed since at least 17,000 years before the first empire was founded, first noted in the Age of Bronze Empires by the Minotaur scholar Groes Grame. 

We know not who constructed these wondrous tests of obvious magical skill and technological fortitude. We know not how many there are, or if they are related. We know not if the rewards for completing their challenges are set in the stone of the world, or if they alter depending on the performance of the challenger. All we know for certain, as certain as the sun and moon shall always be and always have been, is that they are dangerous, and the entire world pays the price of a challenger's failure. As such, our King in all his divine majesty has decreed that it is death to attempt the challenge of these dungeons of destruction. 

Commonalities

True Dungeons are well documented, predictable phenomena. Each has an entrance that can only be breached by the solving of a riddle, which requires the answer to be presented in some physical form. Once opened, the Dungeon will present the challenger or challengers with a series of trials, typically but not always combat. Failure to complete the Dungeon, whether this failure comes from death or retreat, will release some horror into the world and the dungeon will re-seal itself except in very specific circumstances. Each Dungeon that has been successfully explored has a guardian at the very end that is more powerful than any other foe the Dungeon chooses to throw at a challenger. There is always a reward at the end of a Dungeon, typically an item of magical power. Most Dungeons will alter successful challengers in some way, such as with a magical tattoo that grants mysterious powers or with subtle magical effects. Each successfully completed Dungeon will eventually reset itself. 

Legality of Dungeoneering

No civilization in the recorded history of Illiria has allowed casual exploration of Dungeons, as the result of failure is random and usually awful. With the introduction of the Guilds, controlled dungeoneering is encouraged and numerous theories have been proposed about their existence with new evidence gathered by The Order of the Eye, The Tower of the Ancients, and The University at Shimmering Rock. It is not uncommon for those three Guilds to work together to solve Dungeons. 

Famous Dungeons

The most well-known Dungeon of them all is The Tower of Gygax, the only Dungeon to have no known end. It's trial has been ongoing since it's discovery and the founding of the Adventurer's Guild inside of it. The Guild has been exploring it for centuries, and frequently use it as a test for new heroes, as the Dungeon's challenge floors reset themselves regularly and quickly. They do not allow outsiders to study it or even enter it upon penalty of death. 

Date of First Recording

First noted in the Age of Bronze Empires