• Labyrinth Native [7]
• Area Knowledge(Labyrinth, City) +1[2]
• Area Knowledge(Steel Mountains, County) +0 [1]
• Cultural Familiarity (Labyrinth) [0]
• Language, Labyrinthian (Native) [0]
• Language, Common: Spoken (Accented)/Written (None) [2]
• Cartography -1 [1]
• Engineer (Mining) -2 [1] or Prospecting -1 [1] or Scrounging +0 [1]

The city of Labyrinth is nestled in a valley in the Steel Mountains. In antiquity, it was literally a labyrinth, with sudden dead-ends and natural hazards built in to make the area almost impenetrable. This “Old City” sprawled through the surrounding mountains. After the defeat of the demon, Malon, the humans who had been created for the battle were put to work building the “New City” in the valley. Over time, the original minotaurs interbred with the humans, creating the current race of Minotaurs.

Trade

Labyrinth includes several dozens miles all around the initial city, giving the citizens a strong backbone of mountains to mine. The hills surrounding, although rocky, can grow hearty vegetable and tubars, meaning the city can survive independently if need be, although it tends to trade heavily with The City for food and luxuries. Labyrinth trades ore, steel, and precious gems. Any coal it finds it keep itself, using rudimentary coal powered mechanics to operate its digging machines.

Weaponry

The high volume of steel allows every citizen in this area to purchase a common sword easily, and almost everyone has a dagger or two for household tasks or protection. The elite, however, will have finely crafted blades, most studded with expensive gems cut by the finest jewelers. The Thane himself wields a large steel mace studded with diamonds.

Level 2

Brall (The Haunted Caves) back to top

The section was once known as Brall, but is now simply known as The Haunted Caves. Brall was a section with several tunnels leading to the surface in various parts of the steel mountains. Through these tunnels, the minotaurs were able to build and expand many sections and levels of Labyrinth.

Used mainly as a waystation and center point for growth, Brall has many extensions that are connected many times over through tunnels and pathways to the main city. Because of these redundent tunnels outside of the normal city proper, Brall became less and less important. Eventually Brall was all but closed.

An attempt in later years to repurpose Brall as residential quarters was met with ferocious backlash from monsters that had taken up in the tunnels. The monsters seemed to be invisible, and moved without sound. Unable to push the beasts out, the small council of Sub-Level Virik had all access points leading to Brall caved in.

Many years after this, another attempt to repurpose Brall was met with the same recenption. The small council ordered that heavy heavy iron doors be put in place with murder holes over each to protect the citiziens from the monsters. A guard was also placed outside this door for the first few years. After awhile, the door was locked tight and the guard was relocated.

Shadow Cat Enclave (The Hub) back to top

The Shadow Cat Enclave that lies deep with the bowels of the Haunted Caves is a well protected maze of tunnels leading out into a large cavern. This cavern, once known as The Hub, was the center point of all Brall activity during it's brief period of importance.

The once all important small council seat in The Hub, however, has been turned into the palace of the Shadow Cat King, who rules over his people that live in ancient minotaur style houses built into the walls of the cavern. The center of the cavern is dominated by a large, lichen covered lake. Most of the cavern ceiling has crumbled away, revealing the frostbitten Steel Mountains above (and providing an easy way for the Shadow Cats to come and go.)

It is known that one day a group of adventurers, under the Queen's orders, invaded The Hub and killed the Shadow Cat King and all of his guards. After freeing a minotaur prisoner and looting the small council chambers, they retreated through the roof exit.

Level 3

Ruby Alley back to top

Ruby Alley is one of the less shady sections of Thres, dealing mostly in illegal gem trade. It is comprised of a half-mile stretch of narrow road with several offshoots of dead-end alleys, twisting tunnels, and dried up sewers.

Thres back to top

Thres is a largley unregulated and unpoliced section of sub-level Dellock on Level Three. Any and all attempts at "cleaning up" this section of crime has been successful only for the shortest of times, before all involved are either killed, corrupted, or MIA.

It is well known that the Obsedian Colalition, a powerful organization of unknown size, owns most of this section of Dellock, and runs protects on both the legitimate and illigitimate businesses in the area.

The Wyvern back to top

The Wyvern is a run-down tavern in Ruby Alley that has a reputation for being a discreet place for shady deals. The owner, Uri, is known for being able to keep his mouth shut and his eyes averted.

As highly praised as this tavern is for its discretion, the ale is watered down slag, and what little food is in the kitchen often times needs to be eaten around mold.

Level 8

Halls of Honor back to top

The Halls of Honor is one of the largest continguous levels of Labyrinth, spanning almost a dozen miles of twisting catacombs.

Many large halls have been carved out of the Steel Mountains, each adorned with large statues and several crytps. A typical hall with house up to a dozen corpses.

Some halls, although the same size of larger than the normal crypts, only house one body. These minotaurs laid down their lives to protect the realm. These indiviual halls are known as the Halls of Heroes.

The Halls themselves, although a place of the dead, are in fact also teeming with life. A cult of the Traveller known as The Wailing Wives cleans, protects, and pays reverence to fallen heroes in these halls. They have helped to create several hundred homes in the rock to house themselves and their workers (excavators, cleaning crews, embalmers, etc.)