The Lord of the Labyrinth
Little is known of where he came from or how he came into being, mearly that he was, and always has been. Some say that he is all of imagination, and that within his walls all is possible, so long as he wishes it to be so.
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Powers and Abilities
- Creation: Within the Labyrinth the Lord can create and make anything he chooses, even pulling from the minds of those who enter.
- Crystal Orbs: The Lord can summon a seemingly endless supply of perfectly clear glass orbs. Through these orbs he can work endless feets. Visions of the future, seeing into other realms or places, being able to transport an item or pull it from some other place, summon a creature are but just a few of what he can accomplish. Outside of the Labyrinth the orbs lose there massive power and each one must be used for a single task. If he wishes to see the future then the orb with him can only be for that purpose.
- Formless: No one has ever seen the true form of the Lord of the Labyrinth as he always takes on a new and unique fascade to trick his target. Through his unique magic the Lord can become anyone or anything he choses: An old crone, a lowly troll, a beautiful woman, a bird, etc.
- Reality break: The most unique power that the Lord posesses is his ability to break the rules of reality. This is seen in the way the labyrinth acts and shifts, and in how he can seem to walk on a wall or ceiling as if it was the floor. Many believe it is just another form of magic, where as to the Lord and in his arrogance he is beyond the bounds of man.
- Ageless: The Lord of the Labyrinth has appeared throughout time and across the world, thus many think he is immortal. Even when it seems he suffers defeat he returns again to visit man.
The tale and legend of the Labyrinth
The ancient world of man was a time of great mystery and magic. Gods, monsters, and heroes became the things of legend to modern man. But all legends are based on fact, on something that was so real that it would forever survive the course of time. The lord of the Labyrinth was one such being. A God unto himself and a being like none other, his was the power of mystery, wonder, and impossibilty. A being with the power to ensnare the soul of countless wanders and forever hold onto them. Thus was the Labyrinth, a world where the impossible lived. The Labyrinth was a world unto itself, home to the creatures of legend. Here he was unopposed, here he was lord, save for those few who posessed the strength and wisdom to outmatch his mind. Those who failed were doomed to wonder for eternity in his Labyrinth, destined to be warped and changed by the madness that would take them. The old world of man knew that when the Lord of the Labyrinth came, it was best to strike a deal with him first lest one be taken away. Children were offered to placate him, vast and glorious gifts given to him. And he never came as the same person the Lord of the Labyrinth didn't. Sometimes it would be as a wise old man, others a beautiful woman of unsurmounting grace.
In Egypt, Herodotus was brought upon a maze within the city of Krokodilopolis, a place so immense that it was greater than the pyramids themselves. He never truly knew why it was there, mearly that it was build for a God the people worshipped.
The tomb of the great Etruscan general Lars Porsena contained an underground maze of such size and granduer that those who searched within it for Porsena's tomb became not only lost in body, but in mind as well. The writings of Varro as quoted by Pliny spoke of it in his writings with such detail that it was thought a great myth and legend. Had the Lord of the Labryinth been here as well?
Sadly though, the Lord of the Labyrinth's reign on the mortal world would fall, and he like so many of great power and magic would fall away to legend and myth. Thus it was that one man would bring his downfall. Like so many, the Lord of the Labyrinth challenged him, dared him to find his way through his world to the center, and there within take his choice of the treasures there. And so the man did, and succeeded did he. Upon reaching the center he called for the Lord of the Labyrinth, demanding his prize. But what he asked for was not what the Lord expected. Looking the Lord of the Labyrinth in the eyes he demanded a story, one not of legend that would traverse the span of time, but of paper and ink. He wanted a story of mystery, magic, and wonder, a tale that would ensnare the mind and fill it with such visions... visions of which could only be held within the Labyrinth itself. Thus the Labyrinth dissapeared, the Lord with it, forever locked within the pages of a book... a slave to the minds of those who read it.
But even trapped within the pages of a book, the Lord of the Labyrinth still touched the mortal world. So long as his mystery, symbols, and legends persisted, he could never be held, never be bound. Throughout the history of the mortal world has the Labyrinth existed, spanning across the globe. And even when it's presence wasn't touch by man's body, his mind wandered to it. Maurits Cornelis Escher could not escape it's touch, his mind forever bound to dwell within it. Only through his drawings and creations could keep his sanity. Perhaps he would have been different had that book he found not sat on his shelf. This book of old that held such sway and power that it would open the minds of millions to untold wonders. In the modern world the books power through its many copies would touch many, inspiring and enlightening the imaginations of all. One such copy fell into the hands of Jim Henson, and through its magic he brought to life just some of the countless denizens that lived within the Labyrinth. Indeed, he even brought the Labyrinth itself to the world.
As for the original book? The one that held the Lord of the Labyrinth itself? this book upon Escher's shelf would change hands, and eventually fall into the collection of a family, one who dabbled in the dark arts of magic and witchcraft. They knew not what they truly possessed, mearly that this book was more than it seemed. Leave it to the workings of a little girl to find out...
