MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)
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		<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Non-Adult Sandbox =&gt; Non-Adult Roleplays =&gt; Topic started by: Scaly on December 29, 2014, 02:42:58 am</h2>
		<dl id="posts">
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>December 29, 2014, 02:42:58 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The man stood halfway between the rusted iron gate at the edge of the property and the doorway to the huge, sprawling manner house behind him. He had heavy muscles from spending a lifetime building, and his palms were calloused and yellowed from his work. Although he should have been quite tall, the man had a definite slouch to his spine, from where he had spent many years hunched over a desk. His curly brown hair was kept very short, in keeping with the style these days, and his face was shaven clean. Though it was only morning, he did have a slight stubble which was beginning to grow in. <br><br><div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/00/Outside.gif)</div><br>The entry to the house was not a grand affair. No climbing up to a broad set of bright double doors. Instead, a simple doorway without a door stood to welcome them, along with a half circle window above it, outlined in brick. It had no glass in it anymore, although the remnants of a metal frame suggested that it might have once held a picture window. An umbrella rested against the right hand side of the door. On the other side another door made of wood could be seen with a picture of a milk jug on it, but it was unclear in the shadowy contrast caused by the morning light. <br><br>His visitors were right on time, and the man appreciated that. He hated it when they were late. To truly survive in this place, one must get an early start. "Welcome," he said in a deep toned voice. His eyes were brown to match his hair, with an intense burning behind them. They were the sort of eyes that could burn a hole through a wall if left pointed at it for long enough. "I am the Architect. Are you ready?" <br>He didn't bother to ask why they had come. The stories varied, but they were always the same at their core. Fame, glory, adventure and riches. Some quested for magic or other things that could only be found in the house's walls, and some came simply to carve out a name for themselves. He'd even had a few who had come to live in the house and never left, those who had nothing left in their own lives to stay for. <br><br>The day was a hot one, and the architect lifted his hand and wiped some sweat from his brow. He was as eager as his guests to get out of the blazing heat and into the welcoming shade which called from the first room. "Follow me," He led them through the doorway into the entry way.<br><br><div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/0d/Room1.gif) </div><br>The room was rectangular, with 4 doors crowded right before them. The morning light streamed in through the doorframe, but it was still relatively cool in this area. It was a refreshing contrast to the heat outside. To the right of us stretched the rest of the room, which was rather empty, save for an easel where someone had been painting chinese characters on parchment paper in traditional ink. The architect hid a small smirk, thinking that his guests likely thought he was the artist. In reality, he wasn't quite sure who it was. Perhaps it was the house itself, the place was alive in a way. <br><br>The four doors each had a picture on the bronze surface, and a word painted above it in delicate letters. To the left, the first door sported the picture of a drum, the word STORY appeared above it in bold lettering. The next door had the picture of a cup, with the word FABLE. Here in the entry way proper, the picture of the bottle on the door which faced the entry could be seen, along with the word TALE above. The last door had the word "YARN" above it, with a picture of an apple. The man stood back for a moment, letting his visitors look. <br>"It's easy to get lost," He said to them, "This can be a sinister place."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Jaqhal</strong> on <strong>January 08, 2015, 08:12:03 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The Architect welcomed them and Adrián bowed his head before saying "Greetings. Nice to meet you at last."<br><br>He stood there, hands in his pockets, looking right in his eyes, as if it was the first challenge, but he failed and had to blink and look away. Then, he nodded and answered with a calm voice "I couldn't be readier."<br><br>After saying that, he looked at his companion and at the Architect, thinking that, perhaps, he was being a bit arrogant. But more serious things were happening: they had to follow the Architect. It made him happy that there were no unnecessary interactions or words. Adrián hoped to get straight to the point and was not distracted by the building at all; his eyes were focused on their host, his ear alert just in case he said something useful. But that didn't happen. At last, they entered a room with different doors. And again, the man talked and he listed carefully.<br><br>The architect's words echoed in his head. <em>It's easy to get lost</em>. He laughed at the word <em>lost</em> and didn't hide it.<br><br>"What if we don't want to be found, or if we are already lost in the world outside, or if we don't mind getting trapped inside?" he said as he smiled, his hands in his pockets. He was unconcerned about the place. "I suppose we have to choose a door, right? Together or alone?" he asked, looking at the doorsteps and then at his companion.<br><br>Did they introduce each other? He couldn't remember, but he was not going to ask or say something about it. Not because of rudeness but because he was not used to talking to someone without being asked. Only with his students, of course, and if the situation required it. This situation didn't.<br><br>What he did remember was the reason to be there. Adventure was the main reason and within this one, imagination was a little part alongside fame and power. Deep in his mind he even fantasized about achieving some kind of power that made him immortal, just as the Architect was supposed to be. Or even more, killing him and replacing him. No, he didn't fear the Maze. Instead, his only worry was "can we get killed here?" but he wasn't going to ask that. And yes, he was open to any possibility: if magic really existed in real life --and they were already experiencing it--, what else could be possible? He was eager to discover what lied in de depths of the Maze. And as for what to do after entering there... He did not want to think about it. "Let's face the situations as they come", he would think for himself. And there he stood, waiting. If the Architect prompted them to choose a door, he wouldn't know which one to open. If he were not mistaken, all the words were synonyms. What first came to his mind was that FABLE surely meant that some creatures dwelled beyond the door. YARN made him think about the Parcae, whereas STORY or TALE said anything to him. Perhaps one was longer than the other or the former implied non-magic elements whereas the latter did. After a few seconds, however, he started to think that, perhaps, he had wasted some precious seconds thinking about this because they didn't have to choose a door. He panted in silence, a bit annoyed with himself, and focused on the present: to wait.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>January 12, 2015, 02:39:46 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias was a handsome youth, but he had a haggard look about him. That was what happened when a man stayed up all night thinking about loan payments--they ate at him. But he had been getting by. Approaching the residence was a simple affair; he felt that he might be able to benefit from being in this place, no matter how strange. He'd had reasons for being here, but truthfully...he was also here because curiosity ate at him. He loved new things; he loved adventure, and ever since his failed business venture, he'd been painfully shy about taking new risks in his life. But this place...this place had the aroma of chance and risk about it.<br><br>Upon being greeted by the Architect and seeing another fellow whom he would presumably be embarking upon this adventure with, he said to the Architect, "A pleasure to meet you." He followed with no complaints, only a sense of building intrigue.<br><br>Once the Architect had finished speaking, Matthias thanked him and turned to his compatriot. He smiled a bit awkwardly--first meetings were always difficult, and in truth, he had no idea why this other man had come to this place. However, it was apparent the Architect was going to lead them both at the same time. Matthias held out a hand, offering Adrián a handshake and said, "I'm Matthias--nice to meet you. I guess we're both in this together...looks like we've got a puzzle to solve."<br><br>With his free hand, he gestured to the doors, "Do you think that the words have some sort of relation to the pictures? And are those numbers above each door?" He eyed the Architect with a little suspicion, perhaps a little fear. This place was obviously something strange, something mystical even...and as such, Matthias wondered to what extent did their guide control or influence their surroundings? But ah, he knew it was best not to dwell on that. Best to focus on getting along with his new acquaintance Adrián and trying to discern which of the doors they had encountered would be best suited to choose.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Jaqhal</strong> on <strong>January 14, 2015, 06:06:37 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Adrián looked at Matthias right in the eye and wondered what was or were his reason or reasons to be there. Flashing thoughts shaked his mind for just a few seconds before he dismissed them in order to focus on the present.<br><br>"Nice to meet you too, the name is Adrián" he answered friendly. Then he followed his eyes and looked at the doors and pictures. He nodded, but his face showed doubt. "I think so, but I can't manage to know which relation is that. Best way to know is going through them" he said with a smile and loud enough for both of them to heard. <br><br>Patience was powerful in him, but curiosity was strong too and he wanted to enter or to be asked which door to choose as soon as possible.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>January 15, 2015, 04:31:26 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias frowned and said, "Hmmmm. I am not sure of the significance of the pictures with them...but there are three words that contain 4 letters, and one word that contains 5 letters. The numbers beneath them are all in their twenties, except for the 41 under "Tale." As such, I don't think we should pick the "Fable" or the "Tale" doors--they don't seem to fit established patterns. We should go through either the "Story" door or the "Yarn" door--I would trust your judgement to pick which you think is better."<br><br>And it was true--Matthias would trust this person he'd only just met. It wasn't like he had many other options, and the thought of traversing this place alone was a genuinely disturbing thought. Two sets of eyes were better than one set, and that was even more true about minds and hands. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get to know Adrian, though; both men were here for very personal reasons, reason unlikely to be shared. But it couldn't hurt to reach out a bit.<br><br>He added to Adrian "And...I hope you find whatever it is you are seeking here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>January 15, 2015, 08:06:48 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You must pick a door together, and I will lead you through it," The architect said. "Of course if you would rather venture off alone, I will not stop you." But leaving alone could be quite dangerous, unless one's intention was truly to never leave. <br>He stood and listened to them consider the clues. This was his favorite part. This choice was the most important one they could make in the maze, but he wasn't going to tell them that. Go through the wrong door, and you would never be able to get out again, trapped forever in an endless loop. <br><br>Except for him, of course. This was his castle, so to speak, and he was never trapped or lost. He wondered what preconceptions these men came with regards to him and the challenge before them. It was best to leave all of them at the front gate if possible. <br>He waited patiently with a blank face, not giving any little clues in his behavior to which way might be the right one. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Jaqhal</strong> on <strong>January 19, 2015, 12:06:37 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Adrián listened to Matthias, a bit surprised. He hadn't noticed what his companion was saying about the doors and by the end, he couldn't agree more. <br>"Be it Story, then," he nodded. He didn't see necessary to explain why avoid YARN. A bright smile appeared in his face when he listened the rest and answered "I hope the same. By now, let just enjoy this and if we survive, I hope I'll have a new friend outside."<br><br>When the Architect spoke to them, he nodded and walked to the chosen door, where he stood in front of it and said:<br>"I think Matthias and I will go through the Story door, right?" He looked both at the Architect and Matthias, just in case he changed or not his mind. "Before going through... If we die here..." he started a bit worried but suddenly shook his head and recovered his usual happy voice "Well, nothing, I will discover it by myself. Or by ourselves." <br><br>He preferred not to think about death. He feared it as much as he feared treason and as he feared Matthias' survival instinct if they faced some lethal situation. One side of himself wanted to survive at all cost, but Adrián knew that he preferred to keep his group safe. And now his group was Matthias. &lt;&lt;Let's not think about this but about nothing. What will be at the other side? Hey, what have I just said about thinking? Stop it&gt;&gt;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>January 23, 2015, 02:05:24 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"So be it," The architect said, and he walked over, producing a skeleton key from his pocket. His calloused fingers didn't fumble, and his hands were extraordinarily steady. He fitted the key into the lock and turned it until it clicked, before he pushed open the bronze door with a strength that seemed unsuited to his build. But then again, he had the muscles of a carpenter. They stepped immediately into a small square room which felt rather cramped. <br><br><div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/b4/20.gif)</div><br>A huge old tortoise with the knowing look of a wise man sat in the very center of the room, forcing them all to stand along the edges. The bronze door which led to the foyer was right behind them, marked with a 1 above it with a hand painted sign. Next to the door on their left was a small end table with some piece of a strange contraption. It wasn't completely clear what kind of machine it belonged to, however, and there was no such machine in the room. The wooden floor was covered with a large ornate rug which took up the entirety of the door. Directly across from them was a wooden door labeled 5, which was standing ajar in its frame. Along the right wall were two doors, but the one closest to the corner seemed to be out of commission. A worn out padded chair had been pressed up into the corner, partly blocking it off. It failed to hide the broken knob from view, but the cloth which had been pinned over the number above the door made it clear that there would be no going out that way. <br><br>The only other option was the door closes to the party on the right, which had no door in it at all, simply a frame. The hall had a curious little jag to the left, but on the facing wall they could see the arrow of a bow, painted and framed on the wall. It was not the only art that hung. Between the two doors was a stern portrait of a man in a turban, starring toward another painting on the wall behind them, which seemed to be of a person in a sunhat staring down on a bright day. <br><br>The tortoise moved slowly over toward the arm chair and began to nibble on one of the newspapers which had been left there, both of which had a large S printed on their covers. Daedalus stepped back against the wall to the right, which was empty, and waited for them to consider their clues. A look of amusement had come over his face, his focus seeming to be on the turtle which was contentedly eating the newspapers as he waited for his guests to consider their next move.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>January 28, 2015, 04:10:20 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias was genuinely baffled as he progressed into the next room. But it turned out not to be too abnormal; it looked like the last room a lot with the door selections, and there was something comically relaxing about that turtle nibbling the letter S. The young man looked around, trying to take in all the clues. He wasn't feeling quite so much like this was a grand adventure now--he felt more like it was an investigative adventure, and that put him at his ease.<br><br>He looked at Adrian and said, "Well, not such a bad first choice; this room isn't too bad. Hmm, assuming that S belongs to the unlabelled door...the door with a '27' is the only one with double digits. It's the only door that stands out as different. I'm not sure if that means we want to pick that one...or avoid it."<br><br>He cast a sly look at Daedelus and quipped, "I wonder if you ever enjoy watching people wrack their brains trying to figure out this labyrinth." His light smile showed he was just joking...mostly. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Jaqhal</strong> on <strong>February 04, 2015, 06:17:09 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&lt;&lt;"So be it" C'mon, open that door and let's face magic, death, dragons or whatever lies ahead!&gt;&gt; But no dragons, instead a huge and apparently old tortoise staring at them, sat in the middle of the room, "eating" almost all the place available. Adrián glared at it for a while and then realized the new and strange doors around them. <br><br>"Hmm... I wonder if this dear turtle is a previous wanderer who got "lost" or just another puzzle... Or both", he said, walking towards the creature. Were it not for the noise of newspaper being chewed in its mouth, Adrian would have thought the turtle was not real, just an illusion. Why shoult it be real? It didn't belong to the room... well, not at all. Did they belong to the room? Not at all, too. Or the paintings. Or the frames without proper doors. Why couldn't the turtle be some kind of spell? And even worse, it was chewing paper. Paper! Normal turtles didn't do that, did they? &lt;&lt;Well, I have no idea about turtles&gt;&gt;<br><br>Before doing anything, however, he listened to Matthias and looked again at the doors. He enjoyed puzzles and such as well as he enjoyed making mistakes. But a mistake here could cost your life so this was not really a game he would enjoy if mistakes were made. &lt;&lt;Not a bad choice, indeed&gt;&gt; He listened to the guessings of his companion and looked at the 27 door.<br><br>"I don´t like the painting of that bow... I mean, why would somebody put it there? "Free weapons if you enter"? Or "get ready to be striked by arrows"? Let's think of something else... The turtle. Would it bite me if I touch it? I always wanted to have a turtle pet as a child", he lied to the Architect as he approached the animal. He wouldn't touch it before the Architect said something, though, so he stood there as near as he could get and waited. But he added "can we take it with us and, let's say, make it choose a door and see what happens?"<br><br>It had been a prompt, really, but why not? Perhaps it could be possible for them and it could work. Or perhaps the Architect would laugh at such extravagant idea and the three of them could laugh and relax for a while. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>February 12, 2015, 02:03:20 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias got a kick out of Adrian's fascination with the turtle; he grinned and said, "You know, I'm not entirely sure we want to trust our fate to the turtle. I mean, what if...he's like a bitter former traverser of the maze himself and might mean us harm?"<br><br>Matthias paused after saying that. He was, in absolute seriousness, contemplating that a turtle might mean to murder them. A turtle. A big, slow, ponderous looking turtle. Matthias had thought a lot of goofy things over the course of his life. He was a bit of a dreamer. But this definitely made him realize how much this place was going to open his mind and how much the perspectives of others genuinely jarred him. Perhaps it was this disconnect with other peoples' ideas that had gotten Matthias into trouble earlier in life.<br><br>"Well, I'm leaning to taking a chance. The '27' door stands out as the only one different significantly. So...I suggest we take it. I'm a bit paranoid of it, but...we wouldn't be here if we weren't willing to take risks." He eyeballed the turtle. "Are...are we taking that with us?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Jaqhal</strong> on <strong>February 17, 2015, 08:59:50 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Adrián reached the turtle... and stayed there as he heared Matthias. <br>"Perhaps. The only way to discover it is... Hey, little turtle..." and then he touched the shell. However, nothing relevant happened, no reaction at all. A bit of disappointment appeared in his face, but vanished after a second. It was a turtle and no more. &lt;&lt;At least so it seems&gt;&gt; Meanwhile, his companion talked again and Adrian turned to face him. At the end, he smiled and shook his shoulders.<br><br>"Why not? I mean the door, haha. The turtle... Too heavy and too turtley to bring it with us. Does that word even mean what I want to mean? Whatever. Door 27 then? So be it!" he exclaimed. Adrian was currently improvising. He had no idea about the numbers and the apparition of the turtle made his day: he was not going to use reason if it wasn't necessary. And, until now, it hadn't. "So... who goes first? Me, you or our turtle friend? A joke, a joke. Shall I go through the door or...?" he asked the Architect while he reached the doorstep and waited. Again, but different, a bit of fear appeared in his face but he shook his head and made it go away. However, before doing anything else, he looked at the turtle to make sure it was still there and hadn't disappeared. Or even in case it decided to follow them. &lt;&lt;The way this is going, I will become crazy. What if Matthias is right and the turtle was harmful? We'll see the sooner or the later&gt;&gt; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>February 23, 2015, 10:27:47 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias grinned in relief that the turtle wasn't going to be brought with them. He smiled at Adrian, who was obviously someone who had a good sense of creativity and humor, someone that would be a good companion as they traversed this labyrinth together. He said, "Well, since we're leaving it, at least it will be a very distinctive marker for this room. We'll certainly know if we ind this room again; I doubt this hefty animal is going anywhere any time soon. Hopefully that will help if we get lost."<br><br>In truth, though, he didn't even know if they could find the same room again. The Architect could probably tell them, although Matthias was too hesitant to outright ask. He said to Adrian, "Door 27 it is. Seems like we're starting out fairly strongly, I would hope. Good team work really bodes well for us; I think we'll find what we're seeking here." Matthias was mostly glad he wasn't making the trip alone with the Architect; the sheer thought of such felt like it would be dreadfully creepy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>March 08, 2015, 09:06:50 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/1/19/Room27.gif)</div><br>The architect hung back once more as they made their decisions. Better to not say anything or else he would reveal the true nature of himself and this place. Their fascination with the turtle made him almost laugh. Like so many others they were so focused on what the tiny meanings of every little thing could be that they missed the obvious clues in front of them. The tall man was not about to give them any hints. He took his amusement and joy from watching people stumble helplessly through his maze. <br><br>With the door selected, he led them on through a short passage, and then into a darkened chamber dominated by a large figure. The entire room seemed to be shaped like a diamond, and the party had entered from one the points on the sides. The door behind them snapped shut, and a small sound echoed off of the stone as a lock clicked in place. There was no door handle.<br>"No turning back now," the architect said, an almost sinister tone to his voice was heightened by the mood of this room. The floor was made of the dirt and the walls of stone, and a kind of cold, stale air penetrated the room. They had to be near the base of the house. The only light came from the lantern that the huge statue carried in his right hand. It hung from a long chain. At the statue's feet read the words "FATA VIAM INVENIENT?" <br><br>Daedalus noticed the obvious pit that had been dug in the floor. He had so carefully tried to cover up the other exit to this room, but someone had disrupted his work. Doorway number nine was not fully exposed, so that to go through it the party would have to wriggle through on their stomach. A small trench and slide of loose dirt, combined with the digging tools that were scattered so haphazardly around suggested that the workers had just scrambled down their chute to avoid detection. He grit his teeth. Part of him wanted to chase them down, but it would have to wait. "Did you hear that?" He asked. "It sounds like the workmen are ahead of us. If we hurry we can catch them- I mean, catch up with them." He said, catching himself a little. He couldn't make the decision for them, that was against the rules. <br><br>The figure with the lantern stood silent, but spoke volumes to those guests who were wise enough to stop and study it. The more conventional door to the figure's right had a spade over the top of it, and was labeled as door 13. Unlike door number 9, which was a dark doorway down into the mysterious earth, the door across the way was made of wooden shingles, with big brass hinges. <br>To the left of the room there was nothing, just an empty space of packed earth under the domed ceiling.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>March 20, 2015, 04:23:29 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Curiosity killed the cat. There was some worry from Matthias that it might just end up killing him, too. This room was different from the previous ones, and the Architect's ominous message about there being no turning back had him more than a little jittery. He eyeballed the room, taking in the details and listening to Daedalus speak.<br><br>He heard Daedelus mention 'catching them.' Was that...was that <em>a hint</em>? He was unsure if he should trust hints from the Architect. And there was something entirely unsafe-looking about Door Nine. He turned to Adrian and said, "What do you think? Do you think we should risk going down that route? It...doesn't look the safest, but it definitely looks like it will get us deeper within this maze." <br><br>He watched the Architect warily, wondering if there would be any additional slip-ups that would indicate that the Architect had an opinion about where he wanted them to go. In truth, Matthias was thinking Door Thirteen looked a lot safer, but really, any door was looking more stable than number nine. But number nine was the first one that drastically looked like it would lead somewhere <em>different</em>.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>April 06, 2015, 03:07:10 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Daedalus waited for them to talk amongst themselves, scowling to himself about the workmen. He prowled along the edges of the room, picking up the shovels and other tools and tidying the place up. So many hints and so much work, and they had ruined it all. He would throw them out if he could, but like himself, the other inhabitants of the labyrinth were trapped here. <br>Perhaps one of these strangers would join them. <br><br>Some thought him to be King of his own little country here, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He was closer to being the ghost of the place. Power over it and not subject to its rules, but also not a participant in the daily life of those that lived here. <br>"Come along, what will it be?" He pressed at them, clearly a little on edge and wanting to get a move on. He wanted to catch those workers and make them pay... but he knew that he would not. He was subject to the whims of the guests as much as they were subject to the whims of the maze. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>April 19, 2015, 02:43:04 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias said carefully, "Okay, after thinking about it...the door with the '9' is the most different. There may be people there. If they are workers, maybe something beneficial might happen or we can get a better understanding of this place and how it works. It also leads down, it looks like, and I'm pretty sure we do want to get deeper into this place."<br><br>He pulled Adrian aside and whispered, hoping that Daedelus would not hear but knowing there was no guarantee of that, "What do you think? I think Daedelus gave us a hint of some sort...but I don't know how much I trust his hints. He's supposed to be impartial, not give hints, right? Normally it wouldn't bother me, but....that door <em>does</em> look ominous. It could be dangerous. I'm willing to follow your judgement and lead on it, but...I'm willing to take the risk. Of course, I'll probably want to keep a close eye on our guide, too, but I think we should risk it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Remiel</strong> on <strong>June 19, 2015, 12:56:25 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Just then, door 13 opened, and a young woman entered.&nbsp; Slender, bookish, with short, boyish hair and glasses, she seemed out of place in the strange maze.&nbsp; "Oh," she said, abruptly, upon seeing Matthias and Daedalus.&nbsp; &nbsp;"Um, I didn't expect there to be anyone else here.&nbsp; Hi."<br><br>She didn't seem overly pleased to see them, but her path had brought her here, for better or for worse.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Scaly</strong> on <strong>June 22, 2015, 09:48:17 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The Architect looked in her direction, and pressed his lips together. There was a fire in his eyes that seemed to burn with the spirit of something immortal. Another wanderer, he wondered how long she had been wandering here. "Did you dig this hole?" he asked right away, sounding a little sharp and annoyed. <br><br>He was still not happy with the workers who had so callously undid all his careful work. He was the king, and the maze his kingdom. Not all the denizens of the maze knew him, but his words carried weight. The Maze was his to design.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Remiel</strong> on <strong>June 22, 2015, 10:31:29 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rebecca shook her head.&nbsp; "I've never seen this room before," she explained.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>June 28, 2015, 02:54:33 am</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias was almost grateful at seeing someone new here; at least the labyrinth was bringing something exciting and different. Granted, there was perhaps a bit too much excitement, what with the rather rude hole in the maze.<br><br>He held out a hand to shake the newcomer's and said, "Matthias. Pleased to meet you. And idea which way looks the best? I was thinking of actually descending down into that hole, but...maybe it isn't the best idea, now that I'm thinking on it." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Remiel</strong> on <strong>June 28, 2015, 01:58:26 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The young woman, after a moment's hesitation, shook Matthias' hand.&nbsp; "Rebecca."&nbsp; She examined the pit, inspecting the amount of dirt that had been excavated into a haphazard pile.&nbsp; &nbsp;"It certainly seems like this was an attempt to hide door 9--or maybe that's just what they wanted us to think."&nbsp; She stared suspiciously at the architect for a few moments, shook her head, and then turned back to the statue.&nbsp; " 'FATA VIAM INVENIENT?' " she repeated aloud.&nbsp; "Any idea what that means? If we assume a Latin word base, then 'Viam' could mean 'way' or 'passage'. I'm not sure about the other two words, though."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>June 28, 2015, 06:28:52 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matthias squinted at the words; he hadn't really noticed the text. He felt a bit like a fool for not doing so. He pondered, "Well, would 'Fata' in any way be related to Fate? So....way to fate? Latin isn't my<em> forte</em>, to be truthful. I'm hopelessly clueless about 'Invenient;' it sounds like 'invent,' but that can't be right. That would just be strange."<br><br>He looked around with consternation and settled on saying, "You came out of door 13, though, right? So I think at minimum we should avoid that one, since for you it would just be backtracking, it looks like."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Remiel</strong> on <strong>June 28, 2015, 06:49:33 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She shrugged.&nbsp; "Doesn't matter to me.&nbsp; We could go back there if you want.&nbsp; I have to admit, I'm curious to see what's through door 9, though, even if it means we have to crawl through the hole."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: MAZE: The Story of the Labyrinth (Private Group)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Blythe</strong> on <strong>July 08, 2015, 04:10:30 pm</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He turned to the Architect, nodding to Rebecca as well. It looked like a consensus had been reached.<br><br>"Nine it is, sir. Even if it means having to crawl down there to see what's through the door." Matthias steeled himself and hoped for the best; he was hoping more than anything that crawling through there would prove to be worth it. A little dirt never hurt anyone, right? Right?<br><br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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