The Castle
In the centre of the maze - except when it's totally wasn't, because it could be just about anywhere it wanted -- there was a building that could be mostly described as an ancient and broken castle. It stood tall enough to be seen from the entrance of the convolution, but many of the floors had fallen victim to old age, and had fallen apart during the many years.
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At the very top of the castle, the roof had disappeared a long time ago. It was usually used as a sort of throne room - mostly because of the large and uncomfortable chair in the end of it, and the large model of the maze's current appearance that stood in the middle of the room.
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The corridors within the castle are much like the maze itself - impossible to judge by the cover. They stretch far and wide, with difficult turns and new things to see at every corner. Those who know their way will easily find it, as the castle in itself only changes position. The interior always remains the same, though deceptive to new eyes.
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From the outside, the maze seemed like nothing more than a seemingly endless structure of brick walls, twisting and turning in random directions as far as the eye could see. Elysium had spent years attuning the maze to his mind, and the rules were set. Nobody left the maze, unless he wanted them to - and many could be kept there for years before he would allow them to die. Of course, there were more to it than brick walls that could easily be torn down or rebuilt, but surprisingly enough there were few who lived to see the deeper parts of it.
The layers
The layer of brick - the initial brick walls reach three times above the size of a normal human being, and are covered with dying plants longing for proper water. The climate inside the labyrinth is slightly chilly and damp, leading to the sand beneath your feet to become mud-like, easily getting on your clothes and shoes. The air is thick with something that seems much like ash, making it difficult, but not impossible, to breathe. In the distance, one can hear slight sounds of creatures slithering across the ground, looking for a proper prey.
The layer of stone - if you're lucky enough to make it to the second level, the mud is replaced by large stone plates. The climate turns hot and sunny, and seems void of any water. Deep within the stonewalls, small, goblin-like creatures curiously run around in excitement at the newcomer within their home. They may be of help, but are hesitant to betray their master easily. At some of the twists of turns, the more intelligent creatures may even be ready to offer riddles in exchange for their help, knowing that it's within the rules Elysium has set. Careful where you step - this level holds many traps that can hold you prisoner until you starve.
After this, there is no such thing as "third" or "fourth" level. The stone walls are gateways between the many layers you may enter - even a few leading you back to where you started.
The jungle layer - a lively jungle without seemingly much shape or meaning. One can walk around here for days without being any closer to home. Every now and then, you may be lucky enough to discover a door to another layer. It is said that Elysium seldom enters this part of his maze, as he is frightened there might be insects hiding beneath the wet grass. The creatures in this layer have gone insane from many years of searching for a way out, and have eventually settled down with the fact that their master has stopped listening to their prayers. Now, they mostly roam the jungle, doing their best to survive. Fresh meat is considered a treat.
The nightmare layer - a harrowing and dreary place awaits you, should you be unlucky enough to enter the maze's darkest corner. This is where the nightmare creatures were spawned, crawling out of the shadows with their many arms, horns, red eyes and sharp teeth. Prepare to face your fears, and hope to defeat them, if you ever want to get out of this place.
The underground layer - The place of the oubliettes. Dusty corridors of naturally formed stone running in all directions, none of which seems to actually lead anywhere. The rocks speak, the water is poisoned, and existence certainly seems grim. But fret not, this is beneath the labyrinth after all - surely there must be a way out!
These are but a few of the layers one may expect to find within the maze. It's ever changing persona makes it so that layers come and go each day - the above are main layers that most likely will be used, should one of you be unlucky enough to enter the maze...
-- -- --
Deep inside the walls and corners of the maze, creatures live happily on what little nourishment they can acquire from the unlucky wanderers or their master's kindness. Some of them are as devious and deceptive as the very construction they live within, others are actually quite all right, and might even help a lost soul find their way.
The Creatures
The brick creatures - these lizard/dragon like cat-sized creatures live in the very edge of the maze, slithering across the surface of the mud with frightening agility. They attack their prey with precision, usually going for the eyes or the throat. They are of average intelligence - not smart enough to write their own sonnets and novels, but have the ability to talk and think for themselves. They can also be found working as servants around Elysium's castle - most notably one of them working as a nurse for Lyra's mother in his earlier post.
"Obviously the human seems to be of the assumption that its life is more valuable than sustenance. Would you like for me to rectify this mistake?"
The stone goblins - living within the stone of the second layer, lives several green and large headed creatures with sharp teeth and red eyes. Though they look terrible, they can be quite mild-mannered of nature. Their average intelligence isn't too much to brag about, though there are those few that occupy themselves with making riddles for the wanderers of the labyrinth. Most of them speak a mixture of their Goblin language and the English tongue, but don't underestimate them because of their stunted vocabulary.
"Kiri maybe not speak human language good, but he knows road better - in exchange for shiny, of course."
The jungle natives - creatures abandoned by the rest of the world, the dryads of the jungle are possibly some of the more dangerous creatures in the labyrinth. The youngest are almost mindless, even though the eldest possess the intelligence one would expect from an ancient tree. They can hardly be reasoned with, and their only wish is to make sure wanderers suffer the same fate as they have been forced to. A bite from these creatures can be deadly without the right treatment, as the victims will slowly find themselves more attuned to the nature around them.
"You will not leave the woods, you will become a part of it. Don't look at me like that, we'll all be happy here. Forever."
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The nightmare creatures - not much is known about these creatures. They dwell in the shadows all over the maze, but have their own domain, as explained above. Nobody quite knows what they all look like, as there's a good chance they all look different depending on who's looking at them. Most of them have very light and pleasant voices, and their singing can sometimes be heard throughout the maze - cosy lullabies with grotesque lyrics. They feed on the dreams and nightmares of the living creatures nearby, that being the reason why you really don't want to fall asleep within the nightmare layer.
"Children have you ever met the bogeyman before? No, of course you haven't 'cause you're much too good I'm sure... Do you know what you should do, if he should visit you? Hush, hush, hush, here comes the bogeyman..."
The rocks - they're sentient rocks. Can be a bit rude too.
"Boo-whoo, you've fallen to the underground, stop yer cryin'. What? What? Me help you out? Listen lad, lass, whatever you are, I nay have the time to be dealin' with the likes of ye. I have important rock stuff to do!"