The Eternal Labyrinth
An Unsolved Enigma
Leave behind all you have, and seek the heart.In the Umbral Realms there exists everything which either does or once existed on Erisdaire. It behaves as a distorted mirror, but despite this there are a few places which have no counterpart on the prime world. Among these is a place which seemingly is in many different locations in the Umbral Realms: the Eternal Labyrinth. Those who happen upon it find themselves looking on a vast maze of stone walls and silent statues keeping watch over the outside. Tall gates serve as the only way in, seemingly locked until the toll is paid. There is a feeling of oppressive dread over the entire area, which only grows stronger as the gates are approached. Travelers and explorers have puzzled over this place for generations but while many have braved to enter the labyrinth few are said to have left it. Scholars attempting to study the labyrinth are even fewer, and mostly compile what information is known through the writings of others. Because of this, what understanding there is of the labyrinth may be unreliable.
Within yourself, shall be without in the maze.
In surrending everything, you shall gain everything.
Geography
Writings on the labyrinth have been compiled and examined, producing information about three distinct 'areas' of the location. Studies have omitted the area around the labyrinth, as it has varied from a thick and dangerous forest to an enormous and impossible valley between mountains. For the purposes of analysis, only the gates of entry and the area beyond have been studied through this process. What has been collected is quite unusual, even for the Umbral Realms.
The Final Chamber
The Gates of Shadow
Ther are an unknown number of entrances into the labyrinth, and each one is visually similar. Theories have arisen they are actually the same entrance, with individuals existing in different 'layers'. There is no practical way to prove this, given the nature of the labyrinth as an enigma which defies understanding of itself. To enter the gates requires surrendering all things which have been carried through the journey to the labyrinth itself - and this is not necessarily a voluntary process. Reports from those who tried to smuggle in weapons even after stripping off their clothing to 'prove' their compliance showed the contraband also was left behind. Leaving behind the items willingly is the first step toward solving the labyrinth.The Aimless Paths
The appearance of the labyrinth from outside, or even above, shows a vast maze of constructed stone walls. However, once inside the appearance is known to change drastically depending on the individual's past experiences. It takes on the appearance of places familiar, yet uncomfortable, to the traveler in an attempt to wear them down. Those who are more vulnerable to fear find the labyrinth playing on this aspect, while those who have strong regrets are forced to face them. Very few who took the time to chronicle their journey through the labyrinth found themselves reaching the heart - instead they would exit through the Gates of Shadow and find their belongings (and any companions) waiting for them as though no time at all had passed.Heart of the Labyrinth
Very few accounts talk about the Heart of the Labyrinth, and much like everything else about the labyrinth they do not all align with each other. Most reports describe an empty chamber, with varying forms drawn from their own pasts. One described there to be a chasm in the center of the chamber which had roughly-hewn and narrow stairs descending into the darkness. They chose not to proceed further, turning back and finding the exit in almost no time at all relative to the struggle to reach the heart. Scholars are uncertain what this may mean, other than the idea of the labyrinth's heart not being the final goal - that something more remains to be seen, and passing further may not make returning to the exit easy.The Final Chamber
The Final Chamber
Only one writer had reached the depths of the labyrinth and survived, and this is written of in ancient scrolls. These passages have been deemed heretical by the Order of Graves, and even other religions have cast doubt on whether they are true or not. According to the scrolls, a single living soul traversed the labyrinth and entered the heart of the labyrinth. Descending into the endless darkness, they reached a chamber with a vortex of shadow lit from within by an otherwordly flame. Stepping into it tore apart their mortal flesh and then burned their immortal soul. Even after this was done something yet remained, which became annealed and transformed into something far more. For this was an apotheosis, the rise of a mortal to divine station. This was how a new God of Death rose and took the place of the previous one, whose divine essence merged with the new being and left only a broken shell behind to be consumed by the vortex.
Type
Magical Realm
Location under
Comments