Labyrinth

While it begins as merely a physical structure built by mortal hands, a Labyrinth is a living complex organism that grows larger and more twisting with each new creature that dwells within it.

Category: Apparition

History

The most famous Labyrinth is often referred to simply as the labyrinth, as it is one of the best known examples of the apparition and may be the origin of the name as a whole. Built by the King Minos of Crete, the original structure was intended to house a creature known as the Minotaur. While initially only built to contain the creature, eventually it doubled as a defensive measure to keep the human sacrifices from escaping before they could be caught and, as the Minoans assumed, eaten by the Minotaur. They demanded more and more sacrifices to keep the creature sated, eventually resulting in the sacrifice of a prince from a nearby kingdom, who was given thread by the Minoan princess Ariadne to facilitate an escape.

However, after the unlikely escape of the prince Theseus, who slayed the creature on his way through, the Minoans were surprised to find the labyrinth had continued to expand. Lacking new prey being fed to it, it had begun to consume nearby structures to lure new creatures inside. The whole island was eventually overtaken by a tsunami, and it is believed that this disaster destroyed the Labyrinth as well as the Minoans.

Traits

A Labyrinth does not need to start as an intentional maze or labyrinth, though these kinds of structures are far more common as a point of origin. It can begin with something as simple as a cellar in fact. For a Labyrinth to form, there are 3 traits that must be present in some capacity.

1. It must be a place that is rarely visited, at least at first. While a growing Labyrinth will draw prey in, in order for one to grow the area must remain largely undisturbed, allowing ambient energy to gather. Places with minimal natural light are ideal, but a location that has seen many deaths is not, as ghosts and other spirits are likely to gather, which will disturb the growth.
2. Labyrinths will only grow in an abandoned place, rarely if ever in one which has never seen people. The energy from a location that was once inhabited and no longer is is far more valuable to a growing Labyrinth. Old castles, manors or temples are frequent places for fledgling Labyrinths to develop, as their larger structure aids the begins of the sprawl. Old growth forests are also common sites for growing Labyrinths, assuming there is minimal animal presence.
3. The area must have significant plant growth. While moving animals and people will disturb the growth, the energy from growing and rotting plants will aid the development of a Labyrinth, and may greatly reduce the timeline. Animals seeking out the plant life for food or shelter will disturb any growing Labyrinths, so most will have an overabundance of noxious, poisonous or otherwise dangerous plants as a result.

Once a Labyrinth is well established in a space, it will begin to spread. Starting with only a few feet in any given direction, the Labyrinth grows in any direction, unconstrained by physics or other things in its space.

The first growth will be to disguise its shape to outside eyes. In a cellar Labyrinth, for example, a square room will appear to warp, the corners rounding out or walls contorting, changing the simple shape of the room to something odd. The shadows and light will distract the eye, and make the space disorienting. The more confused the potential prey is, the less likely it will successfully leave the space. Labyrinths often trap small animals as their first victims, feeding off of their confusion and panic and using that energy to expand further, before going for larger prey.

As the Labyrinth’s power grows, the space will become larger, and more complex. A single room cellar changing developing a hallway or an extra room. Small enough that it seems reasonable at first. They will match the appearance of the preexisting structures, if any, and may even mimic craftsman marks or signatures in an attempt to appear like a legitimate addition. It will add broken windows and crumbling bricks to match a ruin, the exact width of a shovel in a simple root cellar, or the fine carvings of a temple. This is where Labyrinths that have rooted themselves in castles or preexisting mazes will thrive, as their space is already large and established, and provides more space for the Labyrinth to take over before it must create its’ own spaces.

When a Labyrinth is large enough to have acquired several prey, it will begin to properly sprawl, unfolding into a size far larger than the place it has rooted itself, and beginning to reshape the area to suit its’ needs. While it may come in many shapes and sizes, large or small, a Labyrinth will eventually create a spiral at the very center of it, where it will begin to guide prey towards. When the prey reaches the center, it will die, and its body and remaining energy energizes the Labyrinth further. While there may be many entrances and twisting paths of a Labyrinth, they will all eventually loop to this spiral.

Once prey enters the spiral, it will struggle to escape it. Instead it will feel inexplicably drawn to continue inwards. The Labyrinth is an excellent mimic and may begin to echo voices or sounds of others, to lure people into following them further down. It may create the smell of food, or even change appearance to confuse the prey into thinking they are walking out, not in. In the story above, Theseus’ escape was largely due to the use of the ball of thread, which the Labyrinth could not change, and thus led him back out despite its’ many tricks to entice him further in.

There may be many creatures living in a Labyrinth at a time. Animals, humans and other creatures can feasibly live within it for sometime, assuming they can find food and water. Some creatures may even adapt to live specifically within one, feeding off the ambient energy and perhaps even luring larger prey in to feed the Labyrinth. Do not assume that because you appear to be alone within the Labyrinth, that you are in fact alone; many things may use its’ disorienting structure to hunt and feed, and any creatures trapped inside are likely desperate and confused. Humans trapped inside are known to go insane overtime, and another individual found inside should not be trusted; they may no longer recognize you as a kindred spirit.

Weaknesses

Smaller Labyrinths are usually easy to avoid by simply moving away from any places that make you feel confused or disoriented after only a short time. Do not attempt to power through unless absolutely necessary, but a Labyrinth lacking a spiral will have few ways to trap you besides confusion. Pay attention to your surroundings and leave the way you arrived.

A Labyrinth of significant size will often attempt to lure prey in via imitating signposts, walking paths or even using lights to appear like an occupied building. To avoid being tricked by such things, look closely at any apparent signs of occupation or safety in the middle of an otherwise unoccupied area.

Signs created by the Labyrinth will shift, when not being directly viewed. After passing entirely out of sight of a sign, double back and read it again. A Labyrinth creation will likely have changed in some way, indicating it is not to be trusted. Walking paths, too, will appear to shift and move, though this can be harder to notice in an unfamiliar area, especially at night. Limit travel in strange locations to daytime whenever possible, and watch closely that your path appears to be traveling in the same direction; the Labyrinth will struggle to correctly imitate the movement of the sun, and trees and rocks may differ in appearance once passed.

Using a string, such as the story above, is all effective, though the farther in you go, the less likely you will recall what the string was for in the first place.

Lights in the distance should never be trusted if you are uncertain of your area and whether a settlement should be there. Remember, there are many things that will try to lure you to your doom in the night by appearing as a flickering candle in the distance. Do not trust your eyes in the dark, they will betray you for a flicker of light.

These traits are indications you have not gone too far into the Labyrinth yet, and can likely escape. Turn and attempt to go exactly the way you have come from, and focus on any sights in the distance that do not appear to change even when not in view.

Should you find yourself within the Labyrinth, there are still paths to escape it. If you are still above ground, choose a landmark well outside the Labyrinth’s sprawl and walk in that direction. Do not deviate, even when the Labyrinth begins to shift to block you. Even if it appears you have entered the spiral; you have not. you will no longer be able to see your landmark in the spiral; continue walking. You will eventually make your way out, assuming the landmark you chose was not also contained within the Labyrinth. Choose wisely, as you will likely only have one chance to succeed before you are too disoriented to make enough sense of your surroundings to do so. Mountains, the sun or specific constellations are good choices; tall trees or towers, no matter how distinct or apparently far they are, are less so, as these illusions are well within the Labyrinth’s powers.

If you realize you have entered the spiral, you are likely doomed. This is the heart of the Labyrinth, where its’ powers are strongest and your mental state the weakest as it drains you of energy. Your absolute best chance at survival is to stop moving entirely. Creatures trapped within the spiral will be confused and easy to overtake for food and supplies, and you can no longer trust your senses to tell you which way is out and which is further in. Stop, settle where you are, and pray that someone will kill the structure and allow you to escape.

To kill a Labyrinth, the entirety of the original structure must be destroyed. This does not mean the entire Labyrinth, merely the original starting point. The cellar or building, or the copse of shaded trees. Fire is the most effective, but a sufficiently destructive flood or earthquake will do the trick in most cases. This rooted center is rarely at the heart of the spiral, and is more likely to be near the entrance. Look for the largest concentration of false signs, lights or other lures, as this is the best indicator of the center, and search for what will appear to be a map. The map is of course false, but it indicates the center, and it is where you must start to destroy it.

You will feel dread, and distaste, and all manner of negative emotions for doing so. You will think that the place is merely a ruin, no need to do so much damage. You may think of it as beautiful, too precious to be destroyed. You must overcome these impulses. The Labyrinth does not wish to be destroyed, and it is doing what it can to confuse or tempt you to stop.

Should you not succeed, you will likely be brought to the spiral quickly, as the Labyrinth does not want to give you time for a second attempt once you’ve gathered your wits. Best hope another traveler has better luck, and watch for others trapped with you.