The Labyrinth

The Labyrinth is an immense and mostly subterranean superstructure located in the Badlands area of The Gates. The Spiritual Travelers first encountered this structure within the Locational Manipulation ability of a Wheredigo on Nurend 30, 308. It is unclear if the layout they were able to explore is identical to what the Labyrinth truly holds, if they explored the true Labyrinth or if what they were in was a complete fabrication.

Purpose / Function

In folklore, Labyrinths are often built with the purpose of keeping a monster from escaping. The first couple of rooms encountered by the Spiritual Travelers in this maze would suggest that it might be filled with monsters with the intent of keeping them sealed away from the rest of The Gates either due to appearance or threat level. The two monsters discovered were also part of the maze: A door mimic and a room which was just a mouth. It is still unclear if there are other things trapped here or if every room is just a gross attempt at vore, however, the group of explorers was also able to find a room that looked like a perfectly innocent place to sleep. The Writer also explored a portion of this labyrinth and recorded the information he discovered within The Field Guide. The layout for the Writer was completely different from what the Spiritual Travelers have experienced. He warned of moving walls and powerful glyphs. Perhaps it was just another area of the maze, or perhaps it has evolved in the last 50 years, it is unclear. Some of the writing, however, does suggest that the Labyrinth is home to great treasures and secrets, and that this possibility could be bait to lure in the unprepared. With that in mind, it could be one giant trap, and the possibility that the Writer's mind was altered during his stay here adds further layers to this theory. Maybe feeling lost, helpless and confused is a hint at its connection to something in this realm. With that in mind, the purpose is still yet to be discovered, or it may never be discovered. There could be a powerful monster (or several) stored within its walls, or the labyrinth itself could be a monster, or perhaps something completely different.

Architecture

The Labyrinth has sandstone walls and strangely damp floors. This is true for the first layer, at least, though it is unknown what lies further below. The doors leading to different rooms are usually made of wood or stone, and the rooms themselves are often the same sandstone as the rest of the maze. Sconces line the hallways though they are not always lit. The architectural "style" is hard to pinpoint as it is largely just blocks so far. No cultural significance has been located inside...yet.

Defenses

The Labyrinth appears to be capable of defending itself. Some rooms, as discovered by the Spiritual Travelers and hinted at by The Writer, "see adventurers as food". There are rooms that are just one big mouth, or doors that are secretly mimics. This, coupled with the moving walls and powerful glyphs, make the Labyrinth an innately dangerous place to travel even before factoring in the dangerous monsters that might lurk within. The Writer catalogued different glyphs with this Field Guide entry: Kaldau 22, 258: The Labyrinth, Runes and Glyphs.

Parent Location

Badlands

Related Report (Primary Locations)