Labyrinth Knowledge

Cartouches

A pair of cartouches like those below are set into the wall of any passage or chamber that goes from one grid to another marking the boundary between them. Laid down by the ancient builders of labyrinth (or perhaps added later by another group), these markers have proven extremely helpful to the Delver’s Guild. It is a violation of guild law to tamper with or remove a cartouche. It has been observed that cartouches that are damaged in a fight or by other means seem to get mysteriously replaced or repaired…

Symbols and their meanings

After speaking to the other groups and some painstaking research in the library, you learn that the top three symbols indicate what level you are on. The ones you know thus far are:

aiX = Level 1
aaX = Level 2
baX = Level 3
afX = Level 4
bcX = Level 5
bzX = Level 8

The four lower symbols designate a specific grid. The original delvers simply used numbers and letters to name the grids A1 through AN32. They later learned that they often have to translate to the labyrinth symbols to figure out where they are. There is a petition circulating to translate all of the library to labyrinth symbols, but nobody wants to donate the time it would take to revise centuries of compilation.


Stairkeys

The one that your patrons, The Warriors Three, allow you to examine is a six inch long obelisk (resembles the Washington monument). There are symbols on two sides, aiX (Level 1), and aaX (level 2). They will tell you that their key will only function on those levels. You insert the pointy end into a square hole that you find near a grand stairway (that’s what we call ‘em) with the side that has the right symbols on it facing up…presto, a half a mile of shaft gets compressed down to a 40 foot stroll. Better scurry back before too long, though, cause after about 10 minutes it starts to stretch out again (‘less’n ya leave the key in - - right - - like that’s gonna happen).

The first stairkey that you found (on the Nighthag) has three faces marked with symbols:
  • b^X = ???
  • bzX = Level 8
  • biX = ???

Pentacles

Placed throughout the labyrinth are the mysterious pentacles. They are about ten feet in diameter and made of a composite of brass and steel-like substances. The outer circle is etched with mystic symbols which glow when activated. In the middle is a pentagonal pillar, the top surface of which has an steel star-shaped indentation.

Pentacle Keys

In level 1, grid K12, chamber CB, you were introduced to this pentacle. The Alliance Cartel believed it could be safely used to transport delvers to and from somewhere on level 8. They based this on the fact that the set of symbols at the six o'clock position starts off with the cartouche symbols for level 8, and the set of symbols at the two o'clock position exactly mirror this set.

They provided you with a "pentacle key". This is a fist-sized wedge-shaped piece of clear crystal shaped a lot like a miniature imperial star-destroyer. It fits neatly into any of the star points atop the pillar. It can be rested on its base at the center of the pillar where it hovers point upward and slowly rotates. This only happens if the key will work the pentacle in question. Etched into the crystal is a small glyph. In this case, it is a three-bladed propeller matching the design on the inner steel ring above each set of level symbols.