Labyrinth Spirit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
labyrinthspirit) wrote2012-01-16 02:10 am
labyrinthspirit) wrote2012-01-16 02:10 am
Entry tags:
[OOC] Terminology.
The Labyrinth.
It was built in ancient times, though its creators - gods, men, monsters - remain a mystery. No one knows what purpose it was meant to serve, whether it was made to punish the wicked or to test the virtuous. No one knows the secrets it holds behind twisted corridors and unsolved riddles. All is known is that unmeasurable power and something almost akin to sentience exists in every pebble and every column. It sustains itself from the very souls it challenges to navigate it, and for them it changes. From them it learns. There is no record of its mythical rewards being claimed, but the promise remains a siren song for those confined within it.
The Spirit.
An elusive, immortal and yet very much revered figure that exists solely to taunt and guide those who find themselves prey of the Labyrinth. He knows the most - though perhaps not all - about the Labyrinth and its lore, but his origins are shrouded in mystery. Some whisper that he is the Labyrinth itself, given human form. Some speculate he is the first one, but to have been captured by the Labyrinth or to have conquered the Labyrinth, they dare not say. All is known is that he alone exists above the rules of the game, and he alone has the power to offer hope in solving the daunting puzzles that lurk inside the Labyrinth. For a price, that is.
The Village.
A very colorful, strange village exists at the very heart of the Labyrinth. There are houses and shops, and the people in it lead peaceful if slightly melancholic lives. But they have surrounded themselves in a peculiar mixture of times, cultures, technology and magic. Advanced mechanics and sophisticated computers coexist right next to sorcerer's talismans and summoning circles. Fashions range from animal skins to delicate fabrics woven out of the finest materials to sturdy armors forged from mystic ores. Yet all the contrasts harmonize somehow, and the villagers welcome novelties with open arms. At the center of the village there is the Manor, set to accommodate Newcomers with comfortable living facilities. The Village is surrounded by four imposing Gates to the Labyrinth itself, and it is also home to the Spirit's Temple.
The Villagers.
They are captives of the maze that gave up ever finding a way out of the Labyrinth and resigned themselves to instead spend the rest of their lives in the Village. They made a bargain with the Spirit, exchanging their memories of their lost worlds and their past lives for protection and peace as well as access to his powers. They are often very helpful to Newcomers and glad to make business with them, but they never remember the face of anyone who is not a Villager, and can offer no real help in solving the puzzles of the Labyrinth. It is said that if a Villager leaves the Village, he or she will die permanently. They maintain the Manor and the Spirit's Temple as part of their bargain, and in turn, the Spirit protects them fiercely from any type of harm. They know not pain or hunger or envy, and all share an insatiable curiosity, willing to learn from Newcomers and adapt to their needs as they explore deeper areas of the Labyrinth.
The Newcomers.
Beings brought by the Labyrinth itself and given a Mark. They are tasked to navigate the puzzles of the Labyrinth to find their way home and to obtain their heart's desire. All their superhuman powers and abilities, as well as their weapons and important belongings have been taken and placed within the Labyrinth itself; if they want them back, they will have to sort through various obstacles to reclaim them.
The Mark.
Each Newcomer is branded upon arrival with a unique tattoo placed somewhere in their body, known simply as their Mark. This serves as an identification for their belongings and their room, as well as messages posted through the Rock. Marks also serve another purpose: they are magical restraining devices that keep Newcomers from accessing any superhuman power they might possess, like inhuman strength, super speed or the ability to breathe underwater. Throughout the Labyrinth, there are places where Newcomers can loosen the restraints of their Marks to reclaim their lost abilities. Marks appear on Bags, Rocks, Blank Books and on the doors in the Manor, to specify whom they belong to.
The Bag.
This is your standard issue Bag of Holding. Newcomers can stuff any item, weapon, treasure or even being inside their bag and it will never fill up. It will stretch to fit even large objects, but it does have its limits - size-wise, at least - and it will not fit anything larger than an average-sized person. To pull out their items, Newcomers need only reach into the bag with the image of what they want firmly in their minds. The bags will not, however, allow Newcomers to be stuffed inside them, even if they fit the size requirements. Any attempts to stuff a Newcomer inside a bag - even their own, even on their own - will fail, and if repeated attempts are made, the Bag will then spit out all its contents and refuse to work for twenty-four hours. Villagers, however, can be placed inside a Bag, but the Spirit does not approve and he can and will punish those who try.
The Rock.
The communication device, known usually as "the Rock", has gone through many incarnations and updates, as the Labyrinth itself has learned more and more from Newcomers, but... well, it's still a rock. The elongated rocky object is sized to fit comfortably in the palm of its corresponding Newcomer, bearing their Mark on the back - which also serves as a power button. What is not very rock-like in the Rock is the fact the front bears a touchscreen that allows access to a map - of the Manor, the Village and the explored parts of the Labyrinth - as well as messages posted by other Newcomers, be it audio, text or video. All messages are stored locally, sorted by date and poster, though any given Rock can only archive messages dating after the arrival of its designated Newcomer. Messages can be replied to, and privacy settings allow for filters and even note-like messages viewable only by the poster themselves. All messages are identified by the Mark of their poster. The Rock will be a Newcomer's "signature color", making them easily identifiable in case they are lost - or stolen - and they also cannot be hacked or used by anyone else but their designated Newcomer.
The Wall.
Probably named, much like the Manor, by a Newcomer of ages past that thought he or she was being witty. The Wall is the name of the network where all messages are posted using the Rock. No one really knows where the Wall actually is, since each Rock constantly updates and stores any new messages posted, but it stands to reason that it actually exists, somewhere in the Village. Or perhaps in the Labyrinth itself.
The Blank Book.
Newcomers are given a blank book upon arrival, and will find they cannot write in it using conventional means. However, any hints they buy from the Spirit, as well as any discoveries or important information they gather about the Labyrinth will magically appear in their pages. The longer a Newcomer stays in the Labyrinth, the fuller their Blank Book will be. It will also begin recording memories and information about the Newcomer's world and past life, making it both a valuable asset and a potential liability, should it fall in the wrong hands. Unlike the Rocks, they can be read by anyone.
It was built in ancient times, though its creators - gods, men, monsters - remain a mystery. No one knows what purpose it was meant to serve, whether it was made to punish the wicked or to test the virtuous. No one knows the secrets it holds behind twisted corridors and unsolved riddles. All is known is that unmeasurable power and something almost akin to sentience exists in every pebble and every column. It sustains itself from the very souls it challenges to navigate it, and for them it changes. From them it learns. There is no record of its mythical rewards being claimed, but the promise remains a siren song for those confined within it.
The Spirit.
An elusive, immortal and yet very much revered figure that exists solely to taunt and guide those who find themselves prey of the Labyrinth. He knows the most - though perhaps not all - about the Labyrinth and its lore, but his origins are shrouded in mystery. Some whisper that he is the Labyrinth itself, given human form. Some speculate he is the first one, but to have been captured by the Labyrinth or to have conquered the Labyrinth, they dare not say. All is known is that he alone exists above the rules of the game, and he alone has the power to offer hope in solving the daunting puzzles that lurk inside the Labyrinth. For a price, that is.
The Village.
A very colorful, strange village exists at the very heart of the Labyrinth. There are houses and shops, and the people in it lead peaceful if slightly melancholic lives. But they have surrounded themselves in a peculiar mixture of times, cultures, technology and magic. Advanced mechanics and sophisticated computers coexist right next to sorcerer's talismans and summoning circles. Fashions range from animal skins to delicate fabrics woven out of the finest materials to sturdy armors forged from mystic ores. Yet all the contrasts harmonize somehow, and the villagers welcome novelties with open arms. At the center of the village there is the Manor, set to accommodate Newcomers with comfortable living facilities. The Village is surrounded by four imposing Gates to the Labyrinth itself, and it is also home to the Spirit's Temple.
The Villagers.
They are captives of the maze that gave up ever finding a way out of the Labyrinth and resigned themselves to instead spend the rest of their lives in the Village. They made a bargain with the Spirit, exchanging their memories of their lost worlds and their past lives for protection and peace as well as access to his powers. They are often very helpful to Newcomers and glad to make business with them, but they never remember the face of anyone who is not a Villager, and can offer no real help in solving the puzzles of the Labyrinth. It is said that if a Villager leaves the Village, he or she will die permanently. They maintain the Manor and the Spirit's Temple as part of their bargain, and in turn, the Spirit protects them fiercely from any type of harm. They know not pain or hunger or envy, and all share an insatiable curiosity, willing to learn from Newcomers and adapt to their needs as they explore deeper areas of the Labyrinth.
The Newcomers.
Beings brought by the Labyrinth itself and given a Mark. They are tasked to navigate the puzzles of the Labyrinth to find their way home and to obtain their heart's desire. All their superhuman powers and abilities, as well as their weapons and important belongings have been taken and placed within the Labyrinth itself; if they want them back, they will have to sort through various obstacles to reclaim them.
The Mark.
Each Newcomer is branded upon arrival with a unique tattoo placed somewhere in their body, known simply as their Mark. This serves as an identification for their belongings and their room, as well as messages posted through the Rock. Marks also serve another purpose: they are magical restraining devices that keep Newcomers from accessing any superhuman power they might possess, like inhuman strength, super speed or the ability to breathe underwater. Throughout the Labyrinth, there are places where Newcomers can loosen the restraints of their Marks to reclaim their lost abilities. Marks appear on Bags, Rocks, Blank Books and on the doors in the Manor, to specify whom they belong to.
The Bag.
This is your standard issue Bag of Holding. Newcomers can stuff any item, weapon, treasure or even being inside their bag and it will never fill up. It will stretch to fit even large objects, but it does have its limits - size-wise, at least - and it will not fit anything larger than an average-sized person. To pull out their items, Newcomers need only reach into the bag with the image of what they want firmly in their minds. The bags will not, however, allow Newcomers to be stuffed inside them, even if they fit the size requirements. Any attempts to stuff a Newcomer inside a bag - even their own, even on their own - will fail, and if repeated attempts are made, the Bag will then spit out all its contents and refuse to work for twenty-four hours. Villagers, however, can be placed inside a Bag, but the Spirit does not approve and he can and will punish those who try.
The Rock.
The communication device, known usually as "the Rock", has gone through many incarnations and updates, as the Labyrinth itself has learned more and more from Newcomers, but... well, it's still a rock. The elongated rocky object is sized to fit comfortably in the palm of its corresponding Newcomer, bearing their Mark on the back - which also serves as a power button. What is not very rock-like in the Rock is the fact the front bears a touchscreen that allows access to a map - of the Manor, the Village and the explored parts of the Labyrinth - as well as messages posted by other Newcomers, be it audio, text or video. All messages are stored locally, sorted by date and poster, though any given Rock can only archive messages dating after the arrival of its designated Newcomer. Messages can be replied to, and privacy settings allow for filters and even note-like messages viewable only by the poster themselves. All messages are identified by the Mark of their poster. The Rock will be a Newcomer's "signature color", making them easily identifiable in case they are lost - or stolen - and they also cannot be hacked or used by anyone else but their designated Newcomer.
The Wall.
Probably named, much like the Manor, by a Newcomer of ages past that thought he or she was being witty. The Wall is the name of the network where all messages are posted using the Rock. No one really knows where the Wall actually is, since each Rock constantly updates and stores any new messages posted, but it stands to reason that it actually exists, somewhere in the Village. Or perhaps in the Labyrinth itself.
The Blank Book.
Newcomers are given a blank book upon arrival, and will find they cannot write in it using conventional means. However, any hints they buy from the Spirit, as well as any discoveries or important information they gather about the Labyrinth will magically appear in their pages. The longer a Newcomer stays in the Labyrinth, the fuller their Blank Book will be. It will also begin recording memories and information about the Newcomer's world and past life, making it both a valuable asset and a potential liability, should it fall in the wrong hands. Unlike the Rocks, they can be read by anyone.