Maze of the Lost Lich
An Ever-Changing Tomb
"The walls, they shift, the walls shift, shifting walls, they shift-"
Right turn. Right turn. Left turn. Right turn. Noting any landmarks, passing under a stone archway illuminated by dim torchlight. As long as he kept his hand flush with the wall and his wits about him this dungeon would be reduced to a glorified hallway.
He never believed in the manic ravings of that sole survivor, but now he believed even less so. Surely if there were any strange behaviors with this dungeon he'd have noticed by now. Left turn, right turn, right turn, dead end. No matter, there were bound to be dead ends eventually, and just as eventually he would loop back around and into a new path-
His stomach sank, a new feeling of dizzying panic rising and falling in his chest as he looked up from his anchor into should've been the dimly lit archway ahead. A solid wall of mossy cobblestone, cloaked in shadow.
"The walls, they shift."
W
hen it comes to the inner workings of dungeons there are extremely few consistencies, or any meaningful ones at the very least, but one consistency many an adventurer rely on is a dungeon's generation. Once you enter a dungeon, that's it, that's the dungeon. But as always, rules like these simply adore being completely and utterly broken.
The Maze of the Lost Lich is a Legendary dungeon known for breaking this extremely simple rule of thumb. As its name would suggest, the dungeon is a Simulacrum taking the form of a maze. One that none have yet to clear, and few manage to escape.
A Self-made Prison
As a Simulacrum, there are several notable traits that you'd be wise to know before venturing within. At the center of this maze lies a Lich, one that very little is known about save for what the maze itself is willing to reveal, and one that is without a doubt extremely powerful.
For every death, for every lost soul, for every victim of what lies within, the Lich grows stronger; as the Lich grows stronger, the dungeon itself will begin to influence more and more of the outside world to claim more unfortunate souls. It must be stopped, but as far as we know no one has made any real progress in the endeavor.
Shifting Walls
This dungeon's most notable trait is its impermanence. The very walls of the maze are constantly shifting, moving, and changing; revealing new rooms, closing rooms off, triggering traps, cutting off entrances and escapes, and releasing hostile beasts onto unsuspecting adventurers. A chaos that not even a top of the line, pristine Anchor could keep track of without inconsistencies.
As a whole, it's believed that the dungeon is a combination. Containing both the structure you'd expect from a maze as well as the structures you'd expect from a traditional dungeon; rumor has it that if you were somehow able to see it from the outside, the maze is a circular wall encasing the dungeon itself, an array of rooms and hallways constantly shuffling to conceal its center.
To Those Both Brave and Foolish
Because of its Legendary status, you'd be a fool to enter what amounts to a raid without at least 2 or 3 additional adventuring parties at your side. On your journey you will first encounter the growing maze surrounding the dungeon's Gate, constantly growing its influence as the Lich continues to harvest souls. Once you enter the dungeon there is little you can do to map your surroundings, but the most important thing to note is this:
The walls will shift but your sense of direction will not,
as long as you know where North is you can always brute force an escape.
as long as you know where North is you can always brute force an escape.
The Lost Lich
A common occurrence to those who've ventured into the dungeon and have managed to escape is the rumor that certain parts of the dungeon tell a story, and a rather consistent one at that. In a place where almost everything is randomized and nonsensical, adventurers have found clues.
A book here, a letter there, tapestries and paintings, rooms that bring a melancholic sense of familiarity, as well as visions and voices of unknown entities from an unknown time.
The story being told here is believed to be of the Lich herself, a child, one turned undead against her will by someone who refused to accept the inevitable. One who is just as lost in this maze as everyone else, waiting for their parents to find them again. One who doesn't know that they never will.
All the art is made by me unless labled otherwise!
You turned your own ramblings into lore snippets. *mwah* chef's kiss!
vhdsfhvbk the ideal writing process tbh fr fr
While I would love to go on an adventure, writing them is enough for me.