Labyrinths

Created by Qael'Naath and Artifex together, the Labyrinths act as a challenge for mortals. They are filled with various puzzles, traps, tests of strength, agility, and knowledge, and finally the various creatures that call the Labyrinths their home. These Labyrinths can be found across Galbar under "ancient locations". Such locations are, for example, below Ketrefa and Solkra, near the Sunlit temple, underneath the Garden and underneath several of Qull's ruins like the ones in the Mydian desert.

## Civilization

The civilization depicted within these Labyrinths are lies. However they are quite convincing. The Arcrypt Keeper-like species seemingly once reigned all over Galbar through mighty magics. Their ascendancy is eternalized in various reliefs, mosaics, wall paintings and tablets. It also chronicles their fictional fall from grace and life. The cause was to be an abundance of sin: greed, wrath, sloth, envy, pride and other sins all contributed to this downfall. It was made so by Artifex and Qael'Naath as a warning for mortals.

## Labyrinth Interior

### Rooms

#### Puzzle rooms

> *"Less deadly where the puzzle rooms, where tests of cunning or wisdom would keep the ways beeper into the dungeon. Some would require the learning, deciphering and casting of spells, while others still the interpretation of stars or signs, the insight of Augers or Inventors, or the solving of riddles. Yet more were mechanical in nature, requiring the lining up of beams of light, the pushing of large stone blocks into place, the repairing of strange cog based machines, the construction of bridges, the navigation of shifting portals, playing an ancient board game against a golem and numerous other tests of logic and cunning."*
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Puzzle rooms are created by Artifex. These rooms require insight, knowledge and understanding to solve. Puzzle rooms are rarely the same. They can be vast chambers with stars mapped on it's domed roof. Requiring the explorers to recognize the right constellations and use that to open the door. Other puzzles require one to shift around beams of light until they converge.

#### Treasure Rooms

Intermediate between several other rooms are the treasure rooms. These appear as vaults or hidden places, filled with precious metals, gems and other items. Created to play upon mortal greed, these treasure rooms are to ensure that mortals don't deem the Labyrinths too dangerous to explore and conquer.

#### Spell rooms

Design by the god of magic, the Spell Rooms are a test of mental flexibility and magical prowess. Within a Spell room one will find the instructions for a certain spell marked on the walls. These spells will rarely conform with the usual methods used by the exploring culture. The explorers must learn this new spell and cast it within the room. Which will then unlock the great vault door blocking their passage.

#### Demonic Gardens

> *"His magic had already created the Lilith Lilies. They were gently floating upon several pools of water. The garden itself felt like a place of meditation and Zen. Small waterfalls filled and kept round pools connected, which in turn were also connected to a stone carved walkway. None the less everything felt and looked natural. There were no stairs, jagged corners or straight walls. It looked as if nature herself had carved out this little tranquil corner."*
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Make no mistake, while the serene gardens are a sight to behold, these are infested with Lilith Nymphaeaceae plants.

#### The Nexus Room

> *"The walls were filled with flowing schematics, just like he had envisioned. Every mark meant its own thing, as well as added context to what it was connected to. The glyphs were a crude but mortal method to attempt to convey knowledge."*
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The lowest, most central room to any Labyrinth, the Nexus Room harbors a vault of God-Forged spell knowledge. Qael'Naath himself designed the patterns and glyphs marked upon the wall. These markings would allow scholars to learn more about the God-Forged spells, and even learn a handful powerful ones which are specifically carved into the walls, floors and roof of this room. However, these rooms are jealously guarded by the Arcrypt Keepers.

### Species

#### Lilith Nymphaeaceae

A black and red water lily-like flower that grows on small artificially made ponds within the Labyrinths. These lilies remain dormant until mortal sapience enters their vicinity. When they bloom, the demon spell is cast upon the water below. Before soon the lily is consumed by the black mass. This actually causes a demon to be spawned and attack the intruders. The demon spawned by a lily will, if the threat is gone, try and attempt to return to a pool of normal water. As to deliver the lily to its new location.

#### Labyrinth Golems

These creatures can stand still for centuries. Appearing as statues until an adventure walks into their trap. They can also roam the corridors and rooms of a Labyrinth, forcing you to engage these stone constructs. While made of stone, the central mana crystal core that animates them is a weak point. Destroying will destroy the golem. It should also be known that the animation core is utterly useless and will in fact render to dust if taken out of the Labyrinth. Leaving the golem’s other parts as just simply stone.

#### Teramites

Termite-like creatures that live within labyrinths and are generally the same size as wolves while their queens are about the size of bears. Their bodies are augmented with stone, similar to that used to build golems, that makes them a part of the Labyrinth, allowing the bugs to feed of its ambient mana when prey is rare, while also allowing them to coordinate and cooperate with the labyrinths other magical defenses. It also prevents them from escaping its depths into the wider world as they cannot survive beyond it. They have limited flight, tough armor and their semi silicon bodies make for a decent basis for magical components.

#### Arcrypt Keepers

*Animated constructs made from bones of beings that never existed. They consist of a mindless and soulless undead skeleton bound in golem-like exoskeletons that hold their desiccated remains together. Each one is a mage that has a small roster of magical spells at their disposal that they will use to attack intruders into their labyrinthian home. While they are sometimes found within the “Tombs” of the civilization, where foolish adventurers might awaken them from their false slumber, they are most often found guarding the final spell room (acting as a final guardian of sorts) and will often use some of the very spell they are guarding in combat. When killed, they crumble into dust as time finally catches up with them. Also they look like axolotl people.*

## History and locations

There are a series of already known Labyrinths located:

* Near the Sunlit Temple
* Below the ancient city of Ketrefa
* Below the fallen city of Solkra
* Somewhere below the Gardens
* Somewhere below the Luminant
* Below the Mydian desert, marked by Qull's "avenue of half-buried statues"
* Below a lone megalith within windswept plains
* Below the false ruins within the Mydian jungle
* Near the fledling city of Anghebad

None of the Labyrinths have been conquered yet.