Labyrinth

The ancient Labyrinth is the setting for various plot lines across the entire Cradle series. We learn only a little about it in Book 1, Unsouled. Gradually the author reveals more about this mysterious place. In Reaper, we learn the most, and much occurs when the team explores the depths, led by Eithan Arelius and Wei Shi Lindon Arelius.

Builders

Original Abidan Judges — “The original creators of the labyrinth. Seven pillars of order and structure.” (Reaper, bk 10, chapter 24).

Size & Motion

The Labyrinth is huge. Most of it is underground. It runs beneath Sacred Valley and part of the Blackflame Empire. It spans the vast Ashwind continent and runs beneath the enormous Trackless Sea. And beyond. Far, far beyond. . . (Reaper, ch 24)

The corridors can be rearranged. Spatial transportation is a significant part of the labyrinth’s function. Maze restructuring is controlled by scripts. See Control Authority section below. (Reaper).

Entrances

Huge Stone Doors

The door was marked with a familiar symbol. It was etched with four beasts:
on the top, a coiling dragon surrounded by rain and crackling with lightning.
On the bottom, a phoenix with feathers like drops of blood. To the right, an
armored warrior with the shell of a turtle and a sword so rough it was almost
a club. To the left, a tiger seated on treasure and crowned with light.
This was more than just a decoration. It was a warning.

-Skysworn, ch 2

There are several entrances to the labyrinth. In book 1, we learn about two entrances in Sacred Valley. In book 2, an entrance appears in the Transcendent Ruins in the Desolate Wilds of the Blackflame Empire. In book 3, Eithan Arelius mentions that there is access in Serpent’s Grave. In book 4, Jai Daishou illegally takes weapons (Archstone, etc.) from the Western Labyrinth (Skysworn, ch 2). Also, the Monarch Northstrider discovered an entrance at the bottom of the Trackless Sea.

Entrances in Sacred Valley

The labyrinth runs beneath the four holy peaks of Sacred Valley and underneath the valley itself. Sacred Valley has two entrances to the Labyrinth. The stone gates are marked with symbols of Dreadgods. The easiest to access is the Nethergate, a towering stone doorway at the base of Yoma Mountain. That gate opens once every ten years, allowing access to the sacred treasures in nearby rooms only.

The second gate in Sacred Valley is accessed via the Ancestor’s Tomb, near Heaven’s Glory School, high on Mount Samara.

The Tomb was one of the most ancient structures in Sacred Valley, a blocky behemoth looming on titanic pillars. Once he made it inside, he could open the door to the labyrinth. The hunger madra would spill out, devouring everyone present. The Jades wouldn’t be able to handle the power, and he had to hope he could survive Subject One’s weakened techniques.(Wintersteel, prologue)

Laboratories

There are numerous laboratories in the labyrinth. Fo example, the first generation Abidan conducted research and kept files down here. So did the Founder of House Arelius, Ozmanthus Arelius. There were also researchers who meddled beyond their understanding, as Subject One learned to his cost when he accidentally became the first Dreadgod, as explained in book 10, Reaper.

Research & Dreadgods

Laboratories deep in the maze saw the origin of Subject One, a researcher who unexpectedly became the first Dreadgod, and the rise of the four other Dreadgods: Bleeding Phoenix, Wandering Titan, Silent King, Weeping Dragon. Dreadgods came into existence as the result of research and experimentation conducted on Dreadbeasts and hunger aura. For an unexplained reason, the beasts grew beyond control, escaped confinement and entered the outside world. They are nearly immortal. However, the human researcher who morphed into a Dreadgod became known as Subject One. He is kept locked in the depth of the Labyrinth beneath Sacred Valley. The suppression field keeps him too weak to escape. (See book 10, Reaper)
According to book 8, Wintersteel, some time afterwards, then-researcher Red Faith went off the rails and founded Redmoon Hall, the first Dreadgod cult, whose acolytes follow The Bleeding Phoenix. Much more recently, Yerin’s master, Timaias Adama, Sage of the Endless Sword, entered the labyrinth to learn how to remove her Blood Shadow. He stored copious notes about the Dreadgods in his void space, which were found recently by Wei Shi Lindon Arelius, thanks to Elder Whisperer (Reaper). After three months in the suppression field, the Sage was weakened enough for poison and jealous jades to finally kill him. (See Prologue, Wintersteel).

Soulsmithing

The Labyrinth has a history of soulsmithing, especially advanced smithing with a soul forge and soulfire. The original Abidan court used a forge in the labyrinth. So did the Judge Ozriel, back when he was still a human mortal, Ozmanthus Arelius.

Weapons & Artifacts

Some of the most powerful weapons and artifacts on Cradle were forged deep in the labyrinth and are locked away in the same place.

“The dragons of the first Blackflame Empire.. . plundered weapons from the depths of the labyrinth. At first, they only took Highgold or Truegold devices, wanting to study them, but they became greedy for more when they learned that the weapons had such miraculous effects.” (Skysworn, ch 7)

Also, in book 2, Jai Long sought his clan’s ancient Ancestor’s Spear in the Tanscendent Ruins and his Patriarch Jai Daishou opened the labyrinth on Jai land in the western desert, taking the Archstone. Emperor Naru Huan sanctioned his entire clan for this breach of trust; opening the Labyrinth can attract the deadly Dreadgods, which is how the first empire of black dragons was reduced to ash so long ago. (See Skysworn, ch 7)

Control Authority

Zap!

Lindon hefted Subject One’s arm in his own.
“Can the labyrinth get rid of Reigan Shen?”

-Reaper, ch 24

As Dross quickly realized, there is an intelligence and scripting that controls the labyrinth, opening its Nethergate periodically, for example, or suddenly uplifting the Transcendent Ruins. The intelligence can use spatial transformation to rearrange the labyrinth, suddenly moving its corridors, laboratories, and libraries —- like a maze. And it can instantly zap people out of it, or far away from its vast perimeters. Reigan Shen learned this. (Reaper, ch 24)

Four Levels of Authority

Reaper, ch 24: As Wei Shi Lindon discovers, to gain control of the labyrinth, one must first win the trust and approval of four different historic layers of authority, almost like four ghost-beings. Each layer of historic authority asks a prospective controller, “Who Are You?” If the answers aren’t accepted, authority is not allowed. Northstrider had tried for years to win control of the labyrinth. Lindon did gain full control because of his personal connection to the four sources of authority:

1. Hunger madra authority — the most recent layer of authority, based on experiments by/with Subject One, who virtually brought hunger madra to life. (Subject One is sometimes called “The Father of Hunger” according to Elder Whisperer (Reaper, ch 1)) Lindon is the Void Sage. His Path and his arm is based on hunger madra
2. Soulsmith authority — some of Cradle’s most advanced soulsmiths forged amazing weapons and other artifacts in the Labyrinth. Lindon recently used his new soul-forge, a gift from Eithan, in the Labyrinth
3. Ozmanthus Arelius authority —- He gained the trust of the Labyrinth several thousand years ago and conducted research down here, worked his soul-forge, kept libraries, etc. He left an inheritance here before ascending to become The Reaper of the Abidan. Lindon is his apprentice.
4. Original Abidan Judges — “the oldest and most powerful layer. The original creators of the labyrinth. Seven pillars of order and structure.” This presence feels similar to the marble Suriel gave Lindon.

Authority Granted

That presence felt him, felt his connection to this marble, and approved of him. Just like that. And that simply, the labyrinth was his. It snapped into place around him, and he could sense every room. He stretched his perception through it, finding corridors snaking throughout the earth for.. . His mind boggled at the scope. Dross giggled softly in his mind. [You see? You see how it stretches to distant corners unknown?] Spatial transportation was a significant part of the labyrinth’s function; he had obviously known that throughout their entire journey. What he hadn’t known was that only certain pieces of the labyrinth were actually in Sacred Valley itself. Other branches were far away. Some very far. Now he could not only feel the powers in Sacred Valley, but the script that controlled the surrounding lands. It was his, now. His property. His domain.

-Reaper, ch 24